ML man arrested in alleged assault of infant
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 3 months AGO
Donovan Cantu is shown here in police custody.
Moses Lake Police Department/courtesy photo
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | December 22, 2021 1:03 AM
A Moses Lake man was arrested Saturday after an investigation allegedly identified him as a suspect in a child abuse case.
Moses Lake Police Department officers said Donovan Cantu, 21, was taken into custody for allegedly assaulting a 9-week-old infant boy.
“The child had a number – I believe they got eight – broken ribs, which caused a collapsed lung, and then contusions and bruises to the face and the head and then three fractures between the two legs,” said MLPD Capt. Mike Williams.
Officers responded early Friday morning to a call from staff at Samaritan Hospital wherein medical professionals believed the severity of the child’s injuries indicated abuse, according to a MLPD statement. Williams said hospital staff informed investigators the child arrived in a personal vehicle Friday morning. Officers said they interviewed family members and recovered “substantial evidence,” including a video recording that allegedly captured audio of part of the assault.
Officers are continuing to investigate.
“We’re still in the process of obtaining evidence from the residence,” Williams said. “To this point, the mother has been cooperative with the investigation and has been assisting us.”
Williams said Cantu is being held on first-degree assault of a child, a Class A felony. If convicted, Cantu could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, a maximum fine of $50,000, or both, according to Washington state law.
Williams could not verify Cantu’s relationship with the child other than they both lived in the same home. No other members of the household reported any injuries caused by Cantu, Williams said.
Anyone witnessing a child in danger should intervene to assist the child and ensure the minor receives medical care if needed, Williams said. Once that is addressed, reporting the issue to Child Protective Services, under the state Department of Children, Youth & Families, or local law enforcement is the next step in preventing situations similar to what the baby may have faced in this case.
“The last report I got was that the child was in stable condition, still in the hospital,” Williams said.
For more information on reporting child abuse, visit www.dcyf.wa.gov/safety/report-abuse.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Moses Lake man convicted of multiple child sex abuse charges
MOSES LAKE — Billy Gene Pinson, 46, of Moses Lake has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted of multiple crimes associated with sexually abusing minors, according to a press release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which worked with the Moses Lake Police Department on the case.
Looking for an adventure?
Try having a little fun at Steamboat Rock State Park.
ELECTRIC CITY — Summer is just around the corner and there are a million and one things to do, but not all of the adventures you choose have to be expensive or far away.
Court cases in March 2025 shooting death of Moses Lake teen moving forward
EPHRATA — Jose D. Beltran Rodriguez, 21, of Moses Lake, and Matthew Gabriel Valdez, 19, also of Moses Lake, remain in custody at the Grant County jail after being arrested in connection with a March 21, 2025, drive-by shooting in Moses Lake.