Prosecutors said the infant suffered multiple skull fractures, while her parents offered differing accounts of how she was hurt.
BALTIMORE, MD — Two 21-year-old parents are being held without bail after their 2-month-old daughter died at a Baltimore hospital with serious head and brain injuries, including multiple skull fractures, according to police, charging documents and statements made by prosecutors in court.
Katerin Monzon-Alvarado and Oscar Pineda face first- and second-degree child abuse, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment charges following the death of their daughter, Aida Alvarado. Baltimore police said additional homicide charges could be filed depending on the final findings of the medical examiner. Neither parent has been convicted, and the investigation into how the infant was injured remains ongoing.
Police were called to MedStar Harbor Hospital at about 1:08 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, after the infant had been pronounced dead by medical staff. Preliminary findings from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner indicated that Aida had suffered trauma to her body, according to police. Homicide detectives then went to the family’s residence, took both parents into custody and interviewed them before charges were filed in consultation with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.
Charging documents obtained by CBS News Baltimore described more extensive injuries discovered during a later examination. The documents said the baby suffered significant head and brain trauma, including multiple skull fractures, frontal lobe bleeding and a subdural hemorrhage. Medical staff had also observed bruising around the infant’s eyes and jaw after she was brought to the hospital, according to the report.
The parents gave investigators different explanations for how their daughter may have been injured. Pineda told police the injuries resulted from “a supernatural force or Satan slamming a door on the child,” according to charging documents reported by CBS News Baltimore. Prosecutors said Monzon-Alvarado instead told investigators that her 2-year-old son frequently jumped on a bed and that the infant may have fallen to the floor.
During a Friday court hearing, an assistant state’s attorney challenged the mother’s account, arguing that the extent of the infant’s injuries was not consistent with a single fall from a bed. Prosecutors said the medical examiner’s findings could lead authorities to seek additional charges. A final determination on the cause and manner of Aida’s death had not been publicly released as of Saturday.
Investigators were also told that the parents had noticed bruising on the infant several days before she died and that she began vomiting the following day, according to the charging documents. The parents said they did not seek medical treatment until Wednesday, when the child became unresponsive. Monzon-Alvarado initially told police the baby stopped responding while lying face down on a bed after being fed, according to reporting on the court records.
At separate bail proceedings Friday, District Court judges ordered both parents held without bail. Monzon-Alvarado’s public defender said her client denied harming her daughter and pointed to investigators’ description of the home as orderly and showing no signs of neglect. The judge handling the mother’s hearing nevertheless found that detention was warranted while the case moves forward.
Police have said Monzon-Alvarado and Pineda remain charged with child abuse, assault and reckless endangerment. Any decision to bring homicide charges will depend on the medical examiner’s findings and the continuing investigation. Authorities had not announced additional charges or released a final autopsy determination as of Sept. 12.
Author note: Last updated September 12, 2026.