Baby dies after father allegedly bends him in two to stop him crying

Robert Resendiz has been charged with felony child abuse

Robert Resendiz allegedly bent his son in half to stop him from crying (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

An Arizona infant has died after his father allegedly bent him in half to stop him from crying.

Robert Resendiz told police that he had pressed his infant’s legs over his head in an attempt to quiet him, according to a probable cause for arrest statement obtained by azfamily.com.

The 30-year-old estimated he used 65 per cent of strength to bend the baby in half, and did not release pressure until his son went quiet and limp. He also allegedly admitted to biting the 6-month-old twice out of frustration.

The infant suffered a liver laceration, left wrist fracture, laceration to his pancreas, and bruising on his thigh, according to court records obtained by CNN. He died in the hospital two days later.

Mr Resendiz allegedly told police that he put his son to bed at 10 or 11 pm on the day of the incident, and woke up the next morning to find the child had stopped breathing.

His mother told police that the baby was “awake and alert” when she left for work that morning, and that she received a text from Mr Resendiz saying that the baby was fine at around 11:45 am. An hour later, he texted to say the baby was not breathing.

Police arrested the father shortly after he called 911 to report his son’s condition. The infant was rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where doctors deemed his injuries “not survivable”.

Mr Resendiz was charged with intentional child abuse, a class two felony in Arizona. His preliminary hearing will take place on Friday. He has not yet formally entered a plea.