Cleveland father found guilty of murder for shoving baby wipe down 13-week-old son's throat

A Cleveland father whose 13-week-old infant choked to death on a baby wipe nearly two years ago is set to be sentenced Friday May 31 after being convicted this week of intentionally killing the child.

Traveon Hughes Sr., on Wednesday, was found guilty of one count of murder, one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment by a Cuyahoga County jury in the death of his son, Traveon Hughes Jr.

The jury determined Hughes, 20, was at home alone with his son on June 25, 2022 and intentionally shoved the baby wipe down the baby's throat.

“The State of Ohio believes that baby Traveon Hughes’s death was an intentional homicide,” Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley released in a statement following the trial. “A jury composed of citizens from our county agreed.”

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'It went a little too far, ladies and gentlemen'

During this week's trial, Cleveland.com reported, Cuyahoga County assistant Prosecutor Kerry Sowul argued Hughes, who moved to Cleveland from Chicago with the baby two days before he died, grew stressed by the baby’s constant crying.

“What can he do to quiet this child? Put something in his mouth to quiet him up,” the outlet reported Sowul said. “It went a little too far, ladies and gentlemen.”

Jurors deliberated for nearly three hours before convicting Hughes, according to the outlet.

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Hughes claimed he placed the wipe on his son's chest, left room

Prosecutors said Hughes told Cleveland Police detectives he placed a baby wipe on his son's chest instead of a bib, left the baby alone and went into another room. When he returned, Hughes said, the baby was choking so he called 911.

Arriving paramedics were not told the infant had an obstruction in his throat, prosecutors said. The baby wipe was discovered as EMS attempted to save the child.

The baby was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Baby was too young to put wipe down throat, officials say

Police and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office determined the baby was too young to put the wipe down his own throat and found it was placed there intentionally.

The child's death was ruled a homicide caused by asphyxiation.

Four days after the child died, police arrested Hughes in connection to the baby's death.

Hughes is slated to be sentenced at 10:30 a.m. ET.

He faces a maximum of life in prison with no chance of parole until he serves 15 years in custody.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ