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Vernal Caregiver Arrested in Toddler's Tragic Death Incident

Angela Accutoroop, 50, arrested for child abuse homicide linked to toddler's death.

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A woman in Vernal, Utah, was arrested on Monday in connection with the death of a toddler who was under her care. Angela Accutoroop, 50, faces charges of child abuse homicide, classified as a second-degree felony. The incident occurred on September 4 when Accutoroop called 911 after the three-year-old boy she was caring for stopped breathing. According to police reports, Accutoroop stated that she had placed the child on a shower seat with the water running. At some point, she claims the child fell off the seat and struck his head. Emergency dispatchers guided her through CPR until first responders arrived on the scene. The boy was subsequently taken to Ashley Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City due to the severity of his injuries. Tragically, he passed away three days later. Following the child's death, the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy. Their findings indicated that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, with evidence of multiple head injuries including bruising and brain bleeding. The autopsy results concluded that the child did not die from a simple fall off the shower seat. While Accutoroop maintained her version of events to law enforcement, she was unable to provide explanations for the additional injuries found on the child. It is important to note that Accutoroop was not the boy's mother; however, she had been his primary caretaker for about six weeks prior to his death. Following her arrest, Accutoroop was booked into the Uintah County Jail, where she is currently being held without bail.