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Dad, 20, accused of shaking his four-month-old son to death told police he suffered 'a parent's hell' in days before because baby wouldn't eat or stop crying and 'only wanted to be held'

A Las Vegas father accused of shaking his baby son to death allegedly told police that he had suffered a 'parent's hell' for 48 hours after the boy refused to eat and wouldn't stop crying.

Mykeal Rangel, 20, took four-month-old Levi to a fire station in an 'unresponsive condition' on September 10, claiming that he had been struggling to eat.

The baby died in hospital six days later, with a doctor telling police that he was 'shaken and beaten to death' and had injuries similar to those of a major vehicle accident, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Rangel now faces a first-degree murder charge. Both Mykeal and the child's mother, Brooke Lehman, face charges of child abuse with severe bodily harm and allowing child abuse with severe bodily harm. 

Prosecutors claim Lehman did not intervene to stop the alleged abuse.

In an interview with police, Rangel said he had suffered ' a parent's hell' for 48 hours because the child refused to eat or sleep, and continuously screamed. 

He said the baby 'only wanted to be held', according to police documents obtained by KLAS-TV.

Doctors found Levi had suffered injuries including two brain bleeds, rib fractures, blood in the lungs, a possible lacerated spleen and extensive retinal hemorrhages consistent with being shaken.  

The Clark County Coroner's Office found the cause of death was abusive head trauma and ruled it as a homicide.   

Rangel allegedly admitted to police that he had tightly squeezed Levi 'until he made strained noise', according to the documents.

The young father also claimed that he suffered from insomnia, bipolar disorder and depression and would 'smoke a dab or hit a punching dummy' to relieve stress from the baby. 

In a second interview, he admitted to shaking the baby a month earlier, but insisted he had not done so since, the Review-Journal reports.

Las Vegas father Mykeal Rangel, 20, (above) appeared in court on September 27 as he faced first-degree murder charges

Las Vegas father Mykeal Rangel, 20, appeared in court on September 27 as he faced first-degree murder charges

Rangel's girlfriend and Levi's mother Brooke Lehman, 20, (above) also appeared in court and faces charges for child abuse with severe bodily harm and allowing child abuse with severe bodily harm

Rangel's girlfriend and Levi's mother Brooke Lehman, 20, also appeared in court and faces charges for child abuse with severe bodily harm and allowing child abuse with severe bodily harm

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released a mugshot of Mykeal Rangel who claimed that he had suffered 'a parent's hell' with the baby after the child refused to eat, sleep and was continuously screamingThe department also released a mugshot of Brooke Lehman

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department released mugshots of couple Mykeal Rangel and Brooke Lehman who were accused of abusing and neglecting their four-month-old son

'The defendant admitted to squeezing the child. He admitted to becoming severely frustrated with the child. He admitted to shaking the child on multiple occasions, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jobe said.

'So the proof is evident and the assumption is great that this defendant committed murder.'  

Prosecutors also hit out at Levi's mother, and said she had opportunities to intervene and stop the alleged abuse from Rangel.

'She wouldn't help. She wouldn't intervene. She didn't do anything on behalf of this child which is part of the reason why this child is dead,' Jobe said. 

Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jobe said that Rangel was most likely responsible for the murder based on the evidence given and Lehman should have intervened and stopped the abuse between her boyfriend and her son

 Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jobe said that Rangel was most likely responsible for the murder based on the evidence given and Lehman should have intervened and stopped the abuse between her boyfriend and her son 

The couple's attorneys said that both of them have lived in Las Vegas their entire lives and the lack of evidence provided does not prove their guilt.   

The Clark County Department of Family Services also said they have no prior history with the family.

Rangel is being held without bond, as of Tuesday, at the Clark County Detention Center. Lehman was released on a $25,000 bail.

The couple are due back in court on October 26.  

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