Nelson Santiago Charged with Murder of Baby Daughter in Merrillville

Crown Point, Ind. - The father of a 5-month-old northwest Indiana girl who died Saturday from shaken baby syndrome has been charged with murder, Lake County authorities said Tuesday.

Juliana Klobucar of 395 W. 77th Pl. in Merrillville was pronounced dead at 2:13 a.m. Saturday at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Juliana suffered head trauma at her home and an autopsy performed Sunday determined she died of a subdural hematoma caused by child abuse. Her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Nelson J. Santiago, 20, the girl's father, was charged Aug. 3 with neglect of a dependent, battery and aggravated battery after Juliana was taken to a hospital suffering seizures on July 28.

The charges were amended Tuesday to include murder and he was ordered held without bond, according to prosecutor's office spokeswoman Diane Poulton. An initial hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Santiago called paramedics about 7 p.m. on July 28 and said he was unable to wake the child up, and that she was pale and warm, according to the probably cause affidavit. Juliana was taken to Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.

She was later airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center after a CT scan showed an injury to her brain. A doctor at the U of C later told police the injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, the affidavit states, and there was not other way she could have suffered such violent head trauma.

The affidavit states Santiago asked a paramedic who responded to the scene, "If I tickled her too hard, would that have caused this?"

The girl's mother, Ann Klobucar, said she left for work in south suburban Ford Heights at 2 p.m. that day, taking her 17-month-old son to day care and leaving Santiago with Juliana.

She said he was "a good father" who had never done anything to hurt the children and could "absolutely not" hurt their daughter, the affidavit states. But she said she grew concerned when he texted her that evening asking if the children had insurance.

Ann Klobucar's sister, however, told investigators that Santiago never seemed overly concerned for Juliana's welfare, and left the hospital early on July 29 to go partying with friends, the affidavit states.

She said she became alarmed when she saw a post on his Facebook page that night saying, "Folks this my might very well b my last nite 2 breath FREE AIR..."