Man, 21, charged with manslaughter in death of infant

A 21-year-old man has been charged in connection with the October 2020 death of his 4-month old daughter at Schofield Barracks in Wahiawa.

Elias Vargas made his initial appearance before Family Court Judge Peter Fong on Wednesday via video conferencing from the courthouse cellblock at Circuit Court after he was charged with manslaughter in his daughter’s death.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office identified the baby as Rosalie Garcia-Vargas.

Autopsy results determined the baby died as a result of “multiple abusive traumatic injuries,” primarily abusive head trauma, according to a police affidavit. The autopsy report also indicated the baby had multiple acute and healing rib fractures.

At Wednesday’s hearing, deputy prosecutor Morgan Barham described Vargas as a military dependent.

He is being held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $300,000 bail.

Police responded to a report of an infant who became unresponsive at Unit 104, 111 Little Drive at Schofield Barracks, at about 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 2.

The affidavit said the baby’s mother received a call from her husband at 11:20 a.m. that their daughter began to choke while drinking milk from a bottle and stopped breathing.

He said he placed her on the ground and began chest compressions and called 911.

The baby’s mother arrived at their residence and observed her husband administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation on their daughter. The baby was taken by ambulance to Wahiawa General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The case was initially classified as an unattended death. Police conducted an investigation that included interviews with Vargas.

He had told police he did not hurt his daughter.

In a follow-up interview, Vargas told police before he fed her that day, the baby’s head hit the edge of a swing basket when he “released her” into the basket instead of setting her down while rushing to clean the house before his wife was to arrive home for lunch. His daughter began to cry and he gave her a pacifier and she fell asleep.

She later became fussy and Vargas prepared her bottle and picked her up from the swing, the affidavit said. He told police his daughter seemed lethargic. When she was halfway through her bottle, she began to choke. He told police he patted her back but nothing came out. The baby then stopped breathing and he administered CPR.

Police consulted with an expert who said the baby’s traumatic injuries was inconsistent with Vargas’ account of what happened.

Police reclassified the unattended death case to manslaughter on Jan. 7 after they received the autopsy report from the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office. Police arrested him Tuesday.

The couple also have a 1-1/2-year-old girl.

In a statement Wednesday, 25th Infantry Division spokesman Lt. Col. Adam Hallmark said, “The death of any child is regrettable and our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragic loss.”

“Civilian authorities have jurisdiction over the matter and the 25th Infantry Division is cooperating fully to ensure that all of the facts are ascertained in order to bring the matter to justice,” Hallmark said.