Little Falls man formally charged with murder in connection with death of 14-month-old
Erik Blanco (Courtesy: Morrison County Sheriff's Office)
A Little Falls, Minnesota man has been charged in connection with the death of a 14-month-old.
Court records filed Friday show 40-year-old Erik Adrian Blanco has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Blanco, who was arrested Wednesday morning, made his first appearance for the case in Morrison County Court on Friday.
RELATED: Little Falls man arrested in connection with July death of 14-month-old
Riverlynn VanNorman’s mother called 911 on July 6 and told officers the 14-month-old wasn’t breathing. Riverlynn was then brought to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the girl died of head and neck injuries that were consistent with homicidal violence.
Riverlynn and her mother had been temporarily staying with Blanco, who was dating the mother. He had been caring for the 14-month-old while her mother was away from the home at the time of the incident, police said.
Blanco has previously been convicted of threats of violence, felony domestic assault, second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, and first-degree assault. In the first-degree assault conviction, Blanco pleaded guilty to assaulting a 1-year-old child who sustained a large skull fracture while under his care.