Court documents: Man admitted to shaking 1-year-old baby, charged with reckless homicide

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 22-year-old man has been charged with the homicide of his girlfriend's 1-year-old child.

Police were called to 67th and Locust on Sept. 30, for a report of child abuse. Upon arrival, they found a 1-year-old child who was unresponsive.

Court documents show the baby suffered abusive head trauma, formerly shaken baby syndrome. He was taken off life support on Oct. 4 and pronounced dead.

On Thursday, Oct. 7, 22-year-old Antonio Homan from Chicago was charged with first degree reckless homicide. Court documents show he was dating the baby's mother. 

The baby's father, Carlton Price, identified the baby as 1-year-old Zion Price. Carlton Price and his family are now seeking justice in the baby's death.

"He was the happiest boy that you could really have. He was mine, so he made me happy," Price told CBS 58. "He laughed with his stomach. When he saw my cousins...play and run around, you could just see in his eyes he can't wait to run."

Zion's grandma, Melinda Hamilton, got emotional as she recounted Monday, the day the baby died at Children's Hospital.

"He looked abused. He had puncture wounds on his foot. He has a rash. He has a little thing on his neck. He had something on his eye. He looked abused," Hamilton said.

Price said when he got to the hospital, he thought his son was sleeping and did not realize the gravity of the situation until he spoke with a police officer.

"(The officer) looked me in my eyes and said, 'do you really know why your son is here?' and that's when it hit me like something is probably seriously wrong," Price said.

According to the criminal complaint, the baby was in the care of Homan, the mom's boyfriend, on Sept. 30. The complaint says around 10 o'clock that evening, the baby's mother left Homan alone with the child and went to pick up Homan's mother in Chicago so she could help take care of the child. Homan told detectives, while the baby's mom was away, he heard the baby let out a loud cry and he "admittedly became frustrated."

Homan allegedly picked up the child and shook him. Homan told investigators the baby's head snapped back, he let out a gasp and stopped breathing. Homan listened to the child's chest and told investigators he could hear his heart still beating.

Homan then allegedly carried the baby into the living room and began performing CPR. While performing CPR, instead of calling 911, he called the child's mother and informed her the child was having breathing issues. The baby's mother called 911.

Homan admitted to officials he never told his girlfriend he shook her baby.

Four days after the baby was admitted to the hospital, multiple exams showed no brain activity and Zion was taken off life support.

"We were holding out hope that by some miracle he would survive, but he was brought in unresponsive with no pulse," said Linda Tanni, Zion's great aunt.

Price and his family said they are upset the baby was left in Homan's care.

"How could a baby die for no reason? There had to be a reason you snapped," Price said.

Price said he's been fighting for parental rights, and he argued that if Zion would have been in his family's care, he would still be alive.

The child's mom was arrested, but the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office told CBS 58 no charges have been filed against her.

Her attorney told CBS 58 she's "horrified" by what happened to her child, and she wants Homan to be charged with murder.