Arrest warrant issued after child abuse results in death

Prosecutors in Hall County have charged a man with child abuse after the death of a 16-month-old baby.

According to online court documents, Ryan Rivera-Meister was watching his girlfriend's baby boy on August 4th. He called the paramedics and told them the child was not breathing.

When first responders arrived on scene the 16-month-old was unresponsive. Rivera-Meister told police the boy had fallen off a bunk bed and hit his head,but in the affidavit doctors say the injuries were too severe to have been caused by a normal fall, and weren't matching up to what was being described.

The child had to be air-lifted to a children's hospital in Aurora, Colorado, where doctors performed multiple surgeries to treat brain injuries. Eventually, the child was declared brain dead.

Rivera-Meister is charged with child abuse resulting in death. If convicted he could spend a lifetime in prison.