Reading couple charged with homicide after death of their newborn baby, DA says

Reading couple charged with homicide after death of their newborn baby, DA says

THIS BRICK BUILDING HERE ON THE 400 BLOCK OF WASHINGTON AVENUE HERE IN EPHRATA BOROUGH. THAT’S WHERE NEIGHBORS SAY THE LITTLE BOY FELL FROM AROUND 115 THIS AFTERNOON. BUT EMERGENCY CREWS SAY THIS LITTLE BOY IS ALIVE, AND HE REMAINED CONSCIOUS THE WHOLE TIME. POLICE AND EMS CREWS ARRIVED WITHIN MINUTES FROM THE REPORT OF A CHILD WITH INJURIES FROM A FALL. NEIGHBORS COULD HEAR FAMILY MEMBERS SCREAMING AFTER THE BOY FELL AND CALLING 911 AS THEY RUSHED TO HIS AID. EPHRATA AMBULANCE TRANSPORTED THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD TO A HELICOPTER LANDING SITE AT THE STEVENS FIRE COMPANY, WHERE LIFE LION FLEW THE BOY TO THE HERSHEY MEDICAL CENTER. TEARS FOR THAT BABY AND I KNOW HE’S AUTISTIC. WE HEARD. WE FOUND THAT OUT, SO THAT EVEN MAKES IT WORSE. AND JUST PRAYERS FOR THE PARENTS THAT THEY CAN FACE WHATEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN. I JUST HOPE HE’S GOING TO BE OKAY. EPHRATA POLICE CONFIRM THAT THE BOY REMAINED ALERT AND AWAKE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE RESPONSE. NEIGHBORS HERE ARE RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT THE CHILD SURVIVED THE FALL. CONSIDERING HOW HIGH THE TOP APARTMENT IS FROM THE GROUND, AND THEY DO WISH THIS BOY A SPEEDY RECOVERY IN EPHRATA, LANCASTER COUNTY. I’M MEREDITH JORGENSEN WGAL NEWS EIGHT. YEAH. HOPING FOR THE FAMILY AND HOPING HE CONTINUES TO BE OKAY. WELL, IT’S ANOTHER HOT ONE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THE HEAT COMBINED WITH HUMIDITY, MAKING IT STICKY AND SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE OUTSIDE, BUT SOME PEOPLE STILL MADE THEIR WAY OUT THIS AFTERNOON AT CENTRAL MARKET IN LANCASTER. AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE HEAT, DON’T WORRY. THERE’S RELIEF ON THE WAY. BUT WITH THAT COMES THE THREAT OF SOME THUNDERSTORMS. LET’S GO TO METEOROLOGIST MIKE SUSKO, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND SOME FOLKS ARE SEEING SOME SIGNIFICANT WEATHER RIGHT NOW. YEAH, WE ARE GUYS. NOT ONLY ARE WE SEEING THE HOT TEMPERATURES RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME RAIN AND DOWNPOURS AS WELL. IN FACT, WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR GETTYSBURG SKY CAM YOU’RE LOOKING MORE TO THE TO THE NORTH AND WEST. HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DARKENING CLOUDS THERE IN ADAMS COUNTY. WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK HERE AT LIVE RADAR NETWORK, WE DO HAVE SOME DOWNPOURS MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF FRANKLIN, CUMBERLAND AND ALSO ADAMS COUNTY HERE, AND EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHTNING NOW STARTING TO SHOW UP NEAR SHIPPENSBURG. SO THESE STORMS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS HERE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR WESTERN COMMUNITIES. WE DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE TOO MUCH WITH IT. BUT NONETHELESS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE OUT THIS EVENING, JUST KNOW HERE’S A LOOK AT THE LIGHTNING RISK. WE THINK THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR THERE TO BE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BETWEEN ABOUT 6:00 AND 9:00 IN OUR AREA. IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR THIS TO BUILD UP, BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE AGAIN WITH THAT LIGHTNING RISK, IN PART BECAUSE OF HOW HOT AND HUMID IT IS. YOU’RE LOOKING AT THE AIR TEMPERATURE IN WHITE AND THE HEAT INDEX IN RED. AND YOU CAN SEE IT’S 92 RIGHT NOW IN HARRISBURG, FEELS LIKE 93, 94 IN LANCASTER, BUT FEELS LIKE 95 OUT THERE AND 97 IN GETTYSBURG AT THIS HOUR. AND WE LOOK AT THE 12 HOUR FORECAST. YOU CAN SEE THE RAIN ICONS THERE AGAIN LASTING TILL ABOUT 9:00 FOR THOSE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS TEMPERATURES FINALLY BACK OFF INTO THE LOW 70S FOR THE OVERNIGHT LOWS, WHICH WOULD BE RECORD WARMTH OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. SO IT’S GOING TO BE A RECORD WARM NIGHT ACROSS THE AREA, ONLY DROPPING DOWN TO AROUND 70 DEGREES ACROSS THE AREA TOMORROW. WE DO HAVE A COLD FRONT THAT WILL COME THROUGH. BRING US SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THERE’S A LOOK AT THE RISK FOR TOMORROW. IT IS A MARGINAL ONE, MEANING AN ISOLATED STRONG STORM OR TWO IS POSSIBLE. WATCHING FOR GUSTY WINDS WITH THAT. WE’LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AND ALSO MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND COMING UP IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, GUYS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE. AND WITH THE HEAT TODAY, THE CHANCE FOR STORMS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WGAL APP SO YOU HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE WEATHER FORECASTS RIGHT IN YOUR HAND. AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NOTIFICATIONS TURNED ON. THAT WAY YOU CAN STAY UPDATED DURING THE CHANGING WEATHER. WELL, NOW TO THE OTHER BIG STORY. PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY DAY IS TODAY. AND RIGHT NOW THERE ARE JUST UNDER FOUR HOURS UNTIL POLLS CLOSE ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA TODAY. MICHAEL. YEAH. THE NEWS EIGHT TEAM IS KEEPING TRACK OF THE BIG RACES FOR YOU. AS THE CANDIDATES LOOK TO TURN THE PAGE IN ADVANCE TO THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION. GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO IS NOT FACING A DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER AND WILL LIKELY FACE REPUBLICAN TREASURER STACY GARRITY, WHO’S ALSO RUNNING UNOPPOSED WHEN BOTH ARE OFFICIALLY NAMED THEIR PARTY’S CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR TONIGHT AS WELL. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AUSTIN DAVIS AND REPUBLICAN JOHN VENTRY OR JASON RITCHIE, WHO WILL COMPLETE THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN TICKETS AS CANDIDATES FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTESTS IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TONIGHT IS IN PENNSYLVANIA’S 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. A LOT OF EYES ON THIS RACE NATIONALLY AS WELL. DEMOCRATIC VOTERS ARE CHOOSING A CANDIDATE TO TAKE ON REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY IN NOVEMBER. ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES VOTERS CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IS AFFORDABILITY. WE WANT TO GO OUT LIVE TO NEWS EIGHT’S SESAME MATTHEWS. SHE’S AT A POLLING SITE IN DAUPHIN COUNTY WITH MORE ON DOUGLAS’S CAMPAIGN THAT’S BEEN. THAT’S RIGHT. LORI. MICHAEL. SO DAUPHIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUSTIN DOUGLAS VOTED HERE AT THE HISTORIC ACRES OF HERSHEY THIS MORNING AS HE HOPES TO BEAT JANELLE STELSON TONIGHT AND UNSEAT SCOTT PERRY IN NOVEMBER. AND LIKE YOU SAID, WE SPOKE TO A LOT OF VOTERS HERE IN DAUPHIN COUNTY, AND THEY TELL US COST OF LIVING IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR THEM TONIGHT. AND I WANT TO SHARE WHAT SOME OF THOSE VOTERS TOLD US THIS AFTERNOON. YEAH, I THINK WE’RE IN TROUBLE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. WE’RE ALL PEOPLE THAT ARE RETIRED, SO WE KNOW WE’RE IN TROUBLE. BUT I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE, I THINK THEY’VE REALLY GOT TO ADDRESS IT FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE. I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY FEED THEIR KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE’RE ON FIXED INCOME, SO EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS. AND IF THE STOCK MARKET HELPS, THAT’S GOOD. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT’S ALL WE HAVE. I REALLY AM CONCERNED THAT WE ARE GETTING REALLY BIG SEPARATIONS FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING WELL OFF VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO KIND OF WORK FOR MORE SECURE SOLUTIONS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE HOUSING COSTS THAT ARE GOING UP, THE GAS PRICES. YOU LOOK AT THE GAS STATION RIGHT HERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT PRICES GOING UP. NOW IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SIX WEEKS, MORE SO THAN I’VE EVER SEEN IT GONE. SO WHERE DOES DOUGLAS STAND ON THE ISSUE. WELL, HE SAYS HE WANTS TO GIVE WORKING PEOPLE THEIR GOVERNMENT BACK AND THAT AFFORDABILITY IS A CENTERPIECE OF HIS CAMPAIGN. SO, DOUGLAS, SUPPORT, YOU’RE SEEING IT ON YOUR SCREEN HERE, RAISING THE WAGES, EXPANDING PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE, STRONGER OVERTIME PROTECTIONS AND TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT AGAINST WAGE THEFT. ON HOUSING, DOUGLAS SAYS AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT JUST AN ECONOMIC ISSUE. HE CALLS IT A MATTER OF DIGNITY, SO HE SUPPORTS EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS. ALSO, HE WANTS TO SEE PROTECTIONS FOR TENANTS, ASSISTANCE FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS. AND ALSO HE WANTS TO SEE NATIONAL RENT STABILIZATION POLICIES THAT ARE TIED TO LOCAL INCOMES AND INFLATION. SO DOUGLAS REALLY IS BETTING ON A GRASS ROOTS EFFORT TONIGHT. HE IS CENTERED ON THE WORKING CLASS FAMILY. HE HOPES THAT WILL CARRY HIM THROUGH TONIGHT. NOW COMING UP AT FIVE WE’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON A HOT BUTTON ISSUE. AND THAT’S IMMIGRATION AND ICE ENFORCEMENT. WE’LL TELL YOU WHERE VOTERS STAND ON THAT ISSUE. BUT FOR NOW, I WANT TO SEND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE AJ SISON, WHO’S COVERING JANELLE STELSON CAMPAIGN OVER IN NEW YORK CITY. HEY THERE, AJ. YEAH. HEY. THAT’S ME. YEAH, WE’RE OVER HERE AT THE PELL CENTER, WHICH IS IN NEW YORK CITY STILL WITHIN THE PA 10TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. HERE WE ARE IN THE FINAL HOURS OF THE MAY PRIMARY ITSELF. WE’RE FOCUSING ON JANELLE STELSON. SHE’S A FORMER NEWS ANCHOR, AS YOU MENTIONED, TAKING ON CURRENT DAUPHIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER JUSTIN DOUGLAS FOR A SPOT ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER AGAINST INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT PERRY. STELSON DID LOSE THE RACE FOR PA TEN. THE ELECTION THERE TWO YEARS AGO TO PERRY, AND NOW SHE’S RERUNNING, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND FROM WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THOSE VOTERS EARLIER, A TOPIC ON VOTERS MINDS IN THE 10TH DISTRICT IS WAGES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT’S ALSO A FOCAL POINT IN STILLSON’S CAMPAIGN, REDUCING THE COST OF EVERYDAY GOODS AND SAYING WAGES SHOULD BE HIGHER. PENNSYLVANIA’S MINIMUM WAGE IS $7.25 AN HOUR, SAME AS THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE, A TOPIC HER AND I SPOKE ABOUT TODAY WHILE SHE WAS AT THE POLLS. IT’S LIKE AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE GROCERIES, THE UTILITIES, HOPEFULLY THE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. AND NOW WE HAVE GAS BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN IRAN THAT SCOTT PERRY BACKS. SO PEOPLE ARE REALLY COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT A LOT. YOU KNOW, GETTING RID OF THE CHAOTIC TARIFF TAXES IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I’D LIKE TO DO. SOME THINGS THAT JANELLE STELSON ALSO SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE, HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE AND CONGRESSIONAL STOCK TRADING AND IMPLEMENTING TERM LIMITS AND SUPPORTING AND SUPPORTING A NEW FARM BILL WITH PROTECTIONS FOR FARMERS. NOW, I ALSO SPOKE TO JANELLE STELSON TODAY ABOUT HER DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT, JUSTIN DOUGLAS. SHE SAID SHE DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO SAY ABOUT HIM, ONLY THAT SHE’S

Reading couple charged with homicide after death of their newborn baby, DA says

Updated: 7:59 PM EDT May 19, 2026

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A Reading couple is charged with homicide following the death of their newborn child in a hospital. Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8. According to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, 28-year-old Kevin Canaan of Reading, Pennsylvania, and 25-year-old Yeniffer Tavarez-Cepeda of New York City are charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. Police called to maternity ward The West Reading Police Department was called to the Tower Health Reading Hospital for suspected child abuse on May 2. They found that a previously healthy newborn baby boy was in medical distress inside a private patient recovery room in the maternity ward of the hospital. The infant was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center for advanced care where he died on May 3. Injuries consistent with abuseMedical personnel at Penn State said the child’s injuries were consistent with abuse and an autopsy at the Dauphin County Forensic Center in Harrisburg confirmed the newborn baby died from multiple traumatic injuries. An investigation by the Berks County District Attorney’s Office and the West Reading Police Department revealed that the infant was under the supervision of their parents when the injuries were inflicted. Officials also found that both parents failed to alert any hospital staff when the infant was in medical distress. Both Canaan and Tavarez-Cepeda were taken into custody on May 19.

READING, Pa. —

A Reading couple is charged with homicide following the death of their newborn child in a hospital.

Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8.

According to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, 28-year-old Kevin Canaan of Reading, Pennsylvania, and 25-year-old Yeniffer Tavarez-Cepeda of New York City are charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children.

Police called to maternity ward

The West Reading Police Department was called to the Tower Health Reading Hospital for suspected child abuse on May 2.

They found that a previously healthy newborn baby boy was in medical distress inside a private patient recovery room in the maternity ward of the hospital.

The infant was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center for advanced care where he died on May 3.

Injuries consistent with abuse

Medical personnel at Penn State said the child’s injuries were consistent with abuse and an autopsy at the Dauphin County Forensic Center in Harrisburg confirmed the newborn baby died from multiple traumatic injuries.

An investigation by the Berks County District Attorney’s Office and the West Reading Police Department revealed that the infant was under the supervision of their parents when the injuries were inflicted.

Officials also found that both parents failed to alert any hospital staff when the infant was in medical distress.

Both Canaan and Tavarez-Cepeda were taken into custody on May 19.