Man accused of shaking baby now charged with murder

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Jefferson City man who was accused of shaking a baby has been charged with murder.

Kristopher J. Ruiz, 28, is charged with second-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child, first-degree domestic assault, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree domestic assault.

A warrant was issued Friday. No bond is set. A court date has not been announced

He was initially charged in September with child abuse, first-degree domestic assault and first-degree child endangerment in Cole County.

Police were sent Aug. 13, 2022, to a residence on Brooks Street in downtown Jefferson City for a medical emergency with Ruiz's 2-month-old son, according to a probable cause statement. Doctors later said the infant's injuries, which included bleeding on his brain and his retinas, were consistent with a shaken baby, according to the statement.

The baby's mother told investigators that Ruiz hits her -- a claim corroborated by a roommate, the statement says. The baby's mother also told police about an incident two weeks before the 911 call when Ruiz allegedly handled the baby in a rough way, according to the statement.

The baby was hospitalized until his death on March 19.