Parents charged in infant's death

The parents of a Carson City infant who died of a skull fracture last year were arrested Thursday in their son's death.

Aurora Anderson was arrested about 3:30 p.m. at her home at 814 Wagon Way in the Gardnerville Ranchos, and Paul Anderson, 45, was arrested about 5 p.m. at a Carson City oil change business on South Carson Street. Both are being held on suspicion of felony murder by child abuse, second-degree murder and child abuse, neglect or endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm. They are being held without bail.

According to court records, the Andersons' 7-month-old son, Tyrone, was found dead in the couple's Carson City apartment about 6:30 a.m. April 19. Detective Dena Lacy said Paul Anderson told investigators he found the boy unresponsive in his crib and carried the child into the living room where he tried unsuccessfully to administer CPR at the direction of 911 operators.

Lacy said the Andersons both told investigators that Tyrone had fallen 2 feet from their bed onto the carpeted floor the previous evening, and after the fall the child was inconsolable.

"They both described Tyrone Marcus Anderson as fussy, crying and having difficulty sleeping. Aurora Anderson and Paul Anderson took turns trying to get Tyrone to stop crying," Lacy wrote in an affidavit to support the arrest warrants issued Thursday.

Aurora Anderson allegedly said she checked on Tyrone repeatedly until 11 p.m. when she fell asleep.

Paul Anderson allegedly last checked on his son at 2 a.m. He said the boy was lying face down in his crib then and appeared to be fine.

The Andersons both denied harming their son, Lacy said.

But a Reno pathologist said a four-inch depressed fracture found on the left side of Tyrone's head indicates homicide.

"The cause of death in this 7-month-old is due to severe blunt-force injury of the head and a large skull fracture and epidural brain hemorrhage," wrote Katherine Raven, pathologist with the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office, in the autopsy report.

Tyrone's death certificate lists "struck/beaten by unknown assailant(s)," in response to the question of "How Injury Occurred."

Raven said in the autopsy report that a "simple fall" from a bed would not have caused the fracture.

When confronted by investigators armed with a warrant for her arrest Thursday, Aurora Anderson was stoic, Lacy said.

"She was emotionless," said Detective Bob Motamenpour, "like she was getting a traffic ticket."

Lacy said Paul Anderson was quiet when arrested in Carson City, where he was having the oil changed on his work truck. Anderson is a maintenance supervisor for McDonald's restaurants in Minden and Carson City.

"This has been a long time coming," Lacy said. "We knew from the beginning that this baby didn't die from a fall from a bed."

In light of the investigation into Tyrone's death, state child protective services removed the Andersons' 3-year-old son from their custody last year. He is being cared for by family members, Lacy said.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.