Parents killed their one-day-old baby in hospital maternity room, prosecutors say

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:17, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 15:29, 20 May 2026 A new mother and father allegedly killed their one-day-old baby in a hospital maternity room in Pennsylvania, according to prosecutors.  Kevin Cannan, 28, and Yennifer Tavarez-Cepeda, 25, are accused of physically abusing their newborn child inside Tower Health Reading Hospital on May 2 in West Reading, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said.  Officers with the West Reading Police Department were called to the hospital over suspected child abuse after healthcare employees found an infant boy in medical distress inside a private patient recovery room, authorities said.  The baby was flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center to receive advanced neonatal care, where he died the following day.  An autopsy performed on May 5 found that the child died from 'multiple traumatic injuries.' A forensic pathologist ruled the baby's death a homicide.  Employees at Penn State Hershey Medical Center informed investigators that the newborn's injuries were not a result of the birthing process, and consistent with physical abuse.  The child was being supervised by his parents in the room when the injuries were inflicted, and they did not alert hospital staff, investigators determined.  Breaking news... updates to follow.   Kevin Cannan, 28, and Yennifer Tavarez-Cepeda, 25, have been charged with killing their newborn baby inside a Pennsylvania hospital, according to prosecutors No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.