Clovis, NM — A New Mexico man is behind bars without bond after his 5-month-old son was found dead in what police describe as a disturbing and filthy home environment.
Jared White, 35, has been charged with child abuse resulting in death and abandonment of a child resulting in death, according to records from the Curry County Detention Center.
Police responded to a 911 call around 2 p.m. Sunday at a residence on Maple Street in Clovis, a city near the Texas border. When officers arrived, they found the unresponsive infant lying on a couch. Life-saving efforts were attempted, and the baby was rushed to Plains Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:42 p.m.
Initial concerns were raised over the timing and nature of the child’s injuries, according to the Clovis Police Department. A criminal complaint later revealed that the baby was already in full rigor mortis when paramedics arrived — a condition that would not align with the father’s claim that he found the child just moments before calling for help.
White allegedly told investigators that he had left the baby alone in a bouncer for about an hour while visiting a friend. When he returned, he claimed the bouncer had tipped over and the child’s face was purple. However, medical observations showed that rigor mortis had already begun to release at the hospital — indicating the child had died 6 to 8 hours earlier, contradicting White’s timeline.
Further investigation revealed the baby may have died by strangulation. A witness, initially corroborating White’s version of events, later changed her story and told police she saw White strangle his baby hours before the emergency call. She said she didn’t intervene out of fear for her own safety.
The complaint also detailed horrific conditions inside the home. Investigators found drug paraphernalia, dog feces, a dirty mattress, and a baby bottle with a cockroach inside. A second child was found inside the home — alive but suffering from diaper rash and found on a urine-soaked mattress. That child has since been removed from the home.
White, who appeared emotionally unstable during his interactions with authorities, is being held without bond at the Curry County Detention Center. His mental and emotional state was described as “distressed and out of touch with reality,” alternating between calm conversations and emotional outbursts.
The investigation remains ongoing.
