Father of 8-week-old arrested for murder in Sioux Falls, police say

A father is being charged with the death of his 8-week old baby in Sioux Falls, according to an arrest warrant filed Tuesday.

Dylan Castimore, 22, called 911 on Saturday morning saying his baby was coughing up blood and not breathing, according to court documents. Police responded at about 11:45 a.m. to an apartment on the 3400 block of North Fourth Avenue and found the infant not breathing and not conscious.

The infant, Daxton Castimore, died at the hospital, Clemens said. Dylan Castimore was arrested at about 11 a.m. Tuesday at a relative's home, said Lt. Terrance Matia during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. He is being charged with one count of second degree-murder and one count of first-degree manslaughter.

Matia called the situation an "isolated incident" and said Dylan Castimore is cooperating with police. It's possible he could face additional charges.

Dylan Castimore was the only adult at the home at the time, Matia said. He and the mother of Daxton Castimore share legal custody.

"The injuries were very extensive and would shock most people," Matia said. "Thankfully, this is something you don't see every day but it shocks a lot of people. There's a lot of people that put the best work that we could to speak for Daxton today, and that's how we got to this point."

More: 8-week-old boy found dead, Sioux Falls Police investigating

The Minnehaha County coroner determined Daxton Castimore's death was caused by a skull fracture caused by an assault and a contributing factor of death was a lacerated liver, resulting in homicide, according to court documents.

The baby had several injuries including several broken ribs, a black eye and bruising, the documents state.

Documents: Security footage caught audio of 'loud thuds'

Dylan Castimore told police he had been feeding the baby when Daxton Castimore's eyes started to gaze, blood came out of a nostril and he stopped breathing, according to court documents.

During the investigation, police went through a 40-minute time frame of security tape footage taken on Saturday morning and could hear the baby crying at times along with several "loud thuds," according to the court documents. At one point in the footage, police could hear a man's voice saying "wake up," a cry and another thud.

Police also found red smears in the apartment's bathroom, bedroom and various spots on the floor deemed to be consistent with blood, according to court documents.

Dylan Castimore's charge of murder is described as being that of a depraved mind, court documents state. His manslaughter charge is also described as done in a heat of passion, the documents state. Both are punishable by life in prison, under state law.

Dylan Castimore is currently being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, Clemens said.

This is the fifth homicide in Sioux Falls during 2021, not including two other homicides from a car crash on East Arrowhead Parkway, Matia said.

On Dylan Castimore's Facebook page, he posted a tribute to his son Monday writing, "Your daddy will never ever forget the times we had I will never forget your dimples and your ocean blue eyes and how u always cried when you wanted me or mommy to hold u daddy loves you."

A GoFundMe has also been set up for the child's funeral expenses.

Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Infant's injuries were 'extensive, shocking' in Sioux Falls homicide