MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. – Police in Pennsylvania arrested a man who is charged with the death of his daughter. Austin Stevens, 29, is behind bars on charges of Involuntary Deviant Sexual Intercourse, Aggravated Assault, and other charges, related to the horrific death of 10-month-old Zara Scruggs.
WARNING: The details of this case are extremely disturbing and inhumane.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, at 10:40 p.m., Lower Providence Police were dispatched following a 911 call for an unresponsive infant at 3454 Germantown Road. Upon arrival, they found the unresponsive infant and her father, Austin Stevens. Police immediately began CPR on the unresponsive baby, who was transported by ambulance to Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, where, despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 12:12 a.m.
Lower Providence Police and Montgomery County Detectives processed the scene, began a joint investigation into the infant’s death, and obtained a search warrant to download the defendant’s phone.
The phone download showed that the defendant conducted multiple Google searches for nearly an hour before calling 911, from 9:27 p.m. until 10:22 p.m., with subjects that included “If baby stops breathing,” “What if you don’t hear baby heart or beat,” “My baby isn’t breathing,” and “How do you know if a baby is dead.” Stevens also conducted social media and text conversations with two women during this time that were not related to the baby’s condition.
Detectives recovered a diaper worn by the baby while she was transported to the hospital. The diaper was saturated with blood. The investigation is ongoing.
On Sunday, Oct. 4, an autopsy on the infant was conducted by Dr. Frederick Hellman, a forensic pathologist with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. Dr. Hellman determined that Zara Scruggs was the victim of a sexual assault, sustaining anal rectal trauma and blunt force trauma to the head. The cause and manner of death is listed as pending, while awaiting additional forensic test results.
“This case is deeply disturbing. It is hard to imagine this child’s death being any more traumatic: sexual assault on an infant, followed by inaction by the father to save her life, led to her death,” said Steele.
Stevens was charged with Involuntary Deviant Sexual Intercourse, Rape of a Child, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and related charges.
After the completion of the investigation, to include the medical examiner, more charges could come for Stevens, including homicide.
Stevens was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar, who set bail at $1 million. The defendant was unable to make bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m., Oct. 13, 2020, before Judge Rebar.
He’s at the right place to get what’s coming to him. I think he deserves The Death Penalty for this heinous act against an infant, that directly caused her death.
Wow… what a POS… Put him in federal… the other inmates there will take care of him 💀.
He should be shot dead
He needs a death penalty for taking the life of a baby it’s a horrible crime he’ll burn in hell for that. But meanwhile while he’s waiting for his trial and he goes to prison inmates will take care of them they don’t like child molesters in prison if he makes it out of prison and goes to trial you’ll be very lucky.