Murder suspect agrees to guilty plea deal in Pahrump
A local man arrested last year in the death of a child entered into a guilty plea agreement this week.
Mitchell Robinson, 22, appeared before Nye County Fifth Judicial District Judge Robert Lane on Monday, Sept. 17, for an arraignment hearing, during which time both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed upon the deal.
Robinson pleaded guilty to child abuse causing substantial bodily harm, defense attorney Daniel Martinez told Lane.
The child was Robinson’s 6-month-old son.
According to a Nye County Sheriff’s Office news release, the case was opened last Sept. 4, when deputies and Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services were dispatched to a residence in the 2000 block of West Simkins Road after receiving a 911 call that an infant had stopped breathing.
Life support
“Upon arrival, emergency life-saving measures were rendered and the child was immediately transported to Desert View Hospital,” the release stated. “The child was eventually revived and stabilized at Desert View, enough to be transported to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas and remained on life support.”
The release went on to state that medical examinations subsequently identified that the death on Sept. 8, was the result of intentional abuse and head trauma.
During an interview by detectives on Sept. 9, 2017, Robinson admitted to shaking the baby “too hard,” the news release noted.
“He admitted to shaking the baby several times on the day the infant stopped breathing,” according to the release. “Robinson was placed in custody and booked in at the Nye County Detention Center.”
Additionally, it was discovered that the child had suffered a previous choking incident back in June of 2017.
Medical examinations, according to the news release, also indicated that there were previous rib fractures on the infant, which went untreated.
Robinson was initially scheduled to appear in Pahrump Justice Court on Sept. 6 to determine whether the case was to be bound up to district court, but both sides negotiated the deal prior to that date.
Robinson’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 17 before Judge Lane.
He faces eight to 20 years in prison.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes
