Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrest Salem Man on Homicide By Child Abuse Charges
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has charged a Salem man with Homicide by Child Abuse. 22 year old Austin Michael Rogers remains in custody at the Oconee County Detention Center after being denied bond. He will appear before a Circuit Court Judge at a later time regarding bond. According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to an address on Sunrise Drive in Salem on January 12th in reference to a report of a juvenile being in cardiac arrest. Attempts to resuscitate the juvenile by paramedics and first responders were unsuccessful. Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Oconee County Coroner’s Office began an investigation. According to the Coroner’s Office, the juvenile, a six month old female, died from asphyxiation, according to an autopsy.
Based upon evidence gathered a result of the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant against Rogers. The arrest warrant states that Rogers was under the influence of Methamphetamine at the time of the incident. The warrant states that Rogers held the victim in his arms while she was faced toward his chest and arm pit area until she got quiet and she stopped breathing. Rogers then placed the child face down on a bed and pillow and did not check on her for approximately 45 minutes. The Coroner’s Office says that the child was dropped off at the incident location by her mother.