A teenage mother from Washington state has been accused of filming a TikTok video during a tragic moment when her infant son was reportedly dying from a serious head injury. Authorities claim both she and the baby’s father were responsible for the injury.
Alyssa Jade Vanderbeck, 19, and Mark Anthony Labaco-Cramer, 21, now face second-degree murder charges related to the death of their 7-week-old son. Cramer is also facing an extra charge of murderous assault, as detailed in court records.
The couple allegedly delayed calling for help for more than an hour after their infant was injured on March 4. Cramer informed a 911 dispatcher that their son was not breathing at that time.
Documents indicate that the baby, who was under two months old, was brought to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma in grave condition. He suffered multiple serious injuries, including severe brain damage and possible fractured ribs.
Doctors concluded that the baby, referred to as “NC” in court records, likely would not survive. According to the affidavit, the parents were back home when police arrived at the hospital the following day to investigate the injuries for potential child abuse.
Upon their return to the hospital, police found the couple’s behavior concerning, considering the severity of the situation and the charges against them.
Investigators discovered a TikTok video shared by Vanderbeck on March 8, where she was seen dancing to upbeat music in a hospital bathroom, which added to the disturbing nature of the case.
The baby passed away on March 9, just five days after being admitted to the hospital, and an autopsy indicated the cause of death as homicide due to abusive head trauma, typically resulting from severe shaking or hitting of an infant.
Cramer later confessed to authorities that he had roughly handled the child, which, he stated, resulted in the baby’s head being thrown back violently.
He reported attempting to pull the baby’s head to his chest. That same day, Vanderbeck woke to find their son unresponsive after Kramer’s attempts to settle him down. She observed Cramer trying to awaken the baby by physically shaking him in distress.
Authorities noted that Vanderbeck sent video messages showing the baby in distress to family and friends, asking for their advice on what to do.
The couple is currently being held with bail set at $1 million. There hasn’t been any information made available yet regarding legal representation for either Vanderbeck or Cramer, and the investigation is ongoing.
