Though there’s often so much going on in the maternity ward, you can frequently look around and find an abundance of joy and happiness as families and friends welcome their brand-new loved ones into the world. Horrifically, that was not the case at a hospital in one mid-Atlantic state. A couple from New York was charged with killing their newborn baby inside the maternity ward of a Pennsylvania hospital. Authorities were called to the hospital after the couple’s 1-day-old infant was discovered in medical distress from suspected child abuse in a private recovery room.
A couple was arrested after allegedly killing their newborn inside the maternity ward of a Pennsylvania hospital.
According to an arrest report from Berks County, 28-year-old Kevin Canaan of Reading, Pennsylvania, and 25-year-old Yeniffer Tavarez-Cepeda from New York were arrested after the death of their 1-day-old baby. The charges include criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and endangering welfare of children.
On May 2, 2026, members of the West Reading Police Department were dispatched to the Tower Health Reading Hospital for suspected child abuse, according to the arrest report. Authorities learned that earlier that day that a seemingly healthy infant was unexpectedly discovered to be in medical distress inside a private patient recovery room within the maternity ward of the hospital, per the report.
The infant being investigated for the abuse was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center for advanced neonatal care, but the newborn died the next day from the injuries received, according to the arrest report.
A hospital employee reported that the baby’s father was acting ‘erratic.’
The Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center advised investigators that the newborn’s injuries were consistent with physical abuse and not a result of the birthing process, NBC 10 reported.
The criminal complaint shared that a nurse working in the maternity ward noticed that the infant “was pale, limp, and breathing loudly.” The nurse also reported that the baby’s father, Canaan, “was acting unusual and erratic,” so she called security while social services alerted police, per the news outlet.
On May 5, an autopsy was performed at the Dauphin County Forensic Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, NBC 10 reported. The autopsy revealed that the infant died from multiple traumatic injuries, and the child’s death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators determined that the physical injuries that led to the baby’s death happened quickly.
According to investigators, it was determined the baby was under his parents’ care inside a private room at Tower Health Reading Hospital when he received injuries “within a short and well-documented timeframe,” per NBC 10.
In addition, the parents said they noticed their baby was in distress but never alerted any of the hospital staff, per the news outlet. On May 19, both parents were charged in their baby’s death after they were interviewed by investigators who had also spoken with numerous hospital staff.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams called the baby’s death the most horrific case of his career. “When I think about all that I’ve seen in my career, and I’ve seen some bad things, I was shocked,” he shared, per NBC 10.
Our thoughts are with the baby’s other relatives as they try to move forward after such a disturbing event.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
