The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Chester County Detectives announced the arrest of Enrique Lopez Gomez on June 25 for charges related to the death of a 21-month-old child. 

Gomez, a 20-year-old from West Grove, was arrested overnight last Thursday and has been charged with murder of the third degree, involuntary manslaughter, and other related charges. Magisterial District Judge Matthew Seavey set bail at $10,000,000 cash.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Chester County Detectives, police received a 911 call about an unresponsive child in the 600 block of Cope Road in Kennett Township at approximately 10:58 p.m. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, the EMS located the victim when the child’s mother walked out the residence while carrying the child wrapped in a blanket. The child had white foam coming from his nose and mouth and he did not have a pulse. Once in the ambulance, EMS also noted bruising on the child’s body and alerted police. The victim was transported to the Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, but he was unable to be resuscitated. The victim was pronounced dead by medical staff shortly after his arrival, at 12:16 a.m. on June 25. An autopsy by the Delaware Office of the Medical Examiner later determined that the child died of blunt force trauma to the abdomen. The joint investigation by the Chester County Detectives, Kennet Township Police Department, and Southern Chester County Police Department determined that Gomez struck the child, causing the injuries that led to his death.

District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “This defendant brutally injured a toddler under his care, failed to get the child medical care, and caused his death. It’s difficult to fathom how someone could do this.”

Police Chief Joesph Greenwalt of the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department said, “Due to incredible teamwork, made an arrest in this case. I want to thank the Chester County Detectives and Kennett Township Police Department for their partnership. Together, we were able to get a semblance of justice for this child.”

Chief Mathew Gordon of the Kennett Township Police Department said, “This tragic murder could not have been solved without the work of everyone involved. I’m proud of the quick response by our patrol officers and the teamwork by all the detectives.”

This was a joint investigation by the Chester County Detectives, Kennett Township Police Department, and Southern Chester County Regional Police Department. Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Yurick and Madaline Troutman are the assigned prosecutors. If you have any concerns about the safety of a child, please call 911 immediately, or call Childline at 1-800-932-0313.