A child-abuse charge was upgraded to a murder charge Friday for a Midvale man accused of killing his 22-month-old daughter.
Dwayne Anthony Montano, 23, already had been arraigned on the child-abuse charge Wednesday and remained in the Salt Lake County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail Friday when the charge was changed to first-degree murder. The charge was upgraded after an autopsy was performed on the child Friday morning, according to West Valley Detective Ron T. Edwards.The autopsy determined the cause of death to be head injuries, court documents state.
This is the second time Montano has faced criminal charges for injuring his daughter, Jade, who at 1 month old suffered brain damage after Montano repeatedly shook her and dropped her on her head. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense in connection with the injury in November 1989.
Jade died about 7 p.m. Thursday at Primary Children's Medical Center where she was taken Saturday.
Montano told detectives he grabbed his daughter and shook her for two to three minutes Saturday and then called his wife for help when the little girl experienced difficulty breathing, court documents state.
A hearing is scheduled for Montano Friday, Sept. 6, in 3rd District Court.