COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A 3-week-old baby girl who prosecutors said was tossed into the air over and over by her father has died.
Rachel Garcia, who was born on Feb. 10, was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. at University of Chicago Hospitals, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Jose Garcia, 28, threw Rachel in the air repeatedly on Saturday when he was caring for her at home in the 5100 block of South Hyde Park Boulevard, prosecutors said. When Garcia realized the child was unresponsive, he tried to give her a pacifier.
"When he took the pacifier out of the child's mouth, there was blood on it," Assistant State's Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said Tuesday, when Garcia appeared before a judge for a brief court hearing.
Rachel was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered brain hemorrhaging.
On Tuesday afternoon, Scaduto said the baby was expected to be taken off life support.
According to a police report, Garcia is employed as a paramedic. He also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2007, the public defender said.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ordered Garcia, who was charged with aggravated battery to a child, held on $400,000 bond.
