18-year-old male allegedly strangles 2 newborns in hospital maternity ward, says 'die' to one of them during attack. Now he's charged with attempted murder.



An 18-year-old male has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly strangled two newborns in a Texas hospital's maternity ward Monday evening, shaking one of them by the neck and saying "die" to the infant, who had turned blue.

What are the details?

Marcus McCowan Jr. has been charged with two counts of attempted capital murder, assault, assault of a public servant, resisting arrest, attempting to take a weapon from an officer, criminal trespass, and possession of a controlled substance, KMID-TV reported, adding that an affidavit revealed details about the incident.

The station said McCowan was visiting Odessa Regional Medical Center because his girlfriend was in labor. A nurse said McCowan approached her at the nurse’s station and grabbed her arm and made an “unintelligible statement," KMID said.

He was asked to leave the area, and nurses said he began running back and forth in the hall, the station reported.

McCowan then reportedly approached a mother who was holding her newborn in a baby carrier while waiting to be discharged, KMID said.

The nurses said McCowan began focusing on the newborn, but when the new mother moved her child from his line of sight, McCowan briefly walked away, the station said.

Soon nurses said they heard stomping and saw McCowan running toward them while yelling and screaming and tried to enter the nursery, which was locked and not publicly accessible, KMID reported.

McCowan reportedly pushed one nurse to the ground while trying to break into the nursery, the station said.

When he failed to get into the nursery, McCowan grabbed the newborn in the carrier from the mother and took the infant into the Lactation Room, KMID reported.

McCowan was reportedly seen with his hands around the infants’s neck, and the newborn's face reportedly changed color from lack of oxygen, the station said.

Nurses wrestled the infant from McCowan, KMID said.

Then a respiratory therapist who heard yelling and came to investigate saw McCowan force his way into the nursery, the station said.

The therapist ran to the nursery and saw McCowan grab a newborn and begin strangling her with both hands, then picked up the newborn — who had since turned blue — by her neck and began to shake her, KMID said.

According to the therapist, McCowan said “die” to the infant and appeared to be about to throw the infant to the floor, the station said.

The therapist tried to slowly pull McCowan to the floor in order to keep the infant from falling, KMID reported, adding that the therapist stayed with McCowan and the newborn and protected the newborn's head until help arrived.

What happened next?

The emergency call went out around 6:30 p.m., and when Odessa Police Department officers arrived on the scene, McCowan tried to resist arrest and a scuffle ensued, the station said. After McCowan was placed in handcuffs and was being taken away, he tried twice to take an officer’s gun from his holster, KMID reported.

Police also found a THC vape pen on him, the Odessa American reported.

McCowan's bond was set at a combined $228,000, the station said. He remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Friday afternoon.

It's unclear how the newborns are doing health-wise in the wake of the alleged attack.

Philly teens beat husband, father so brutally in unprovoked attack that part of his skull has to be removed to relieve pressure on his brain, which was bleeding



A group of Philadelphia teenagers beat a husband and father so brutally in an unprovoked attack last week that part of the 53-year-old victim's skull had to be removed to relieve pressure on his brain, which was bleeding.

What are the details?

Michelle Ferrara told WTXF-TV her husband departed their Fairmount home just after 8 p.m. Friday to see a concert at the Union Transfer when he was attacked just two blocks away.

The victim, identified only as Benjamin, was walking toward the 1600 block of Mt. Vernon Street when two males and two females — ages 15 to 17 — attacked him, WPVI-TV reported.

A residential surveillance camera captured the moments before the attack, WTXF said. The blurred video shows Benjamin heading down a sidewalk and one individual running up behind him as three others follow closely behind.

Benjamin was unconscious on the ground, WPVI said, adding that police said the attackers went through his pockets and took his car keys, house keys, and credit cards.

Ferrara got a call from the hospital around 9:30 p.m. Friday saying Benjamin suffered severe head trauma with a brain bleed, WTXF said, adding that medics first thought he was hit by a car.

"They easily could have killed him," Ferrara told WPVI.

Image source: WPVI-TV video screenshot

"He has staples completely running down his head and along his head because they removed part of his skull to alleviate pressure on his brain," Ferrara added to WTXF.

Benjamin, who's in the ICU, faces memory loss and will have to go through speech therapy, WPVI said.

"He'll really try to get words out, and then he'll like wipe a tear away," Ferrara told WPVI, adding that their 4-year-old son is trying to comprehend what happened to his dad.

"Their bond is going to have to be reimagined because they can't do like basic father and son stuff," she added to WPVI.

Image source: WPVI-TV video screenshot

What happened to the teens?

The teens stole the family's 2014 Honda CR-V, according to WPVI, but it has been recovered. Police added to the station that charges on Benjamin's credit card at a nearby hotel helped locate the teens.

All four suspects were taken into custody on Saturday morning, a law enforcement source told WTXF.

The Philadelphia district attorney's office said it's still an active investigation, but four juvenile defendants are in custody and charged with robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy, simple assault, unauthorized use of property, and related offenses, WPVI said.

There are no weapons charges, as it does not appear any weapons were used, the station added, citing the district attorney's office.

But a law enforcement source told WPVI the two male juveniles who took part in the unprovoked attack are facing attempted murder charges.