Daniela Villareal, who is 17 years-old, has been arrested for beating her 26 year-old son to death. She is facing felony child abuse and murder charges. Paramedics were called after Villareal beat her son. The baby boy was taken to Carolinas Medical Center-University where was pronounced dead a short time later. He died as the result of the physical assault.
Daniela was reportedly excited about being a mother before the baby came. She posted photos her ultrasound and baby bump on her Facebook page.
However, according to Facebook posts that she made in September, her excitement had died down. She complained that she could not take classes or work because she was pregnant. She also stated that she could not wait to have her son so that she could do what she wanted.
Sadly, infanticide in the United States is a fairly common occurrence. It is estimated that eight out of 100,000 newborns die as the result of infanticide. The vast majority of these babies are murdered by their parent or step-parent. Mark Harrington, who is the director of Created Equal, has stated that infanticide is becoming more accepted. Some people believe it is acceptable to kill children up to the age of four or five.