Dad who ‘no longer cared’ admits his abuse killed newborn son in Richland

A Richland father could serve up to 26 years in prison after his son died from his horrific pattern of abuse.

Jose L. Rosas Olivo, 31, told investigators in 2021 that the baby’s constant crying and fussiness made him stop caring about being a good father. He hit, dropped and tossed him “like a football” until the baby suffered brain trauma.

Nearly three years after his parents rushed the dead child to a local hospital, Rosas Olivo pleaded guilty last week to homicide by abuse.

The charge carries the same penalty as first-degree murder under Washington state law.

When he is sentenced, Rosas Olivo faces 20 to 26 years in prison. Benton County prosecutors and his defense attorney plan to ask for 24 years. His sentencing is scheduled for May 7.

Rosas Olivo has been in the Benton County jail since his confession and arrest in 2021.

Homicide by abuse

Rosas Olivo’s son was born two weeks premature and suffered from jaundice, but had recovered and was otherwise healthy, his parents initially told investigators.

At first, Rosas Olivo told officials the baby was fussy the night before he died and he had put him in his crib at 1 a.m. He said he woke up about 5 a.m. to find the baby had vomited and wasn’t breathing.

He said he tried to perform CPR and then they took the baby to Kadlec Regional Medical Center on Sept. 24, 2021.

Medical officials found the baby was not breathing and couldn’t be revived. At the time, doctors noticed a possible fractured rib on an X-ray.

The baby’s autopsy revealed a skull fracture along with a brain hemorrhage. The exam also found multiple broken rib and cuts to his liver.

Police interviewed Rosas Olivo a second time and told them the baby was never comfortable and cried frequently.

He initially said he would never hurt his son but eventually admitted he smacked the baby on his rear or lower back and “may have hugged or squeezed” him too hard. He also said he might have hurt him when he performed CPR.

During another interview with police on Oct. 8 he admitted that he’d been depressed, frustrated and stressed while trying to care for the baby. He said he couldn’t tell the child’s mother about his frustrations.

“After three weeks of trying to be a good father, he began to hurt J.R. He stated at that point, he, “(N)o longer cared.”

He started to be a little rough with the baby, pulling the boy’s hair or ears and spanking him.

When J.R. wouldn’t stop crying, Rosas Olivo found himself throwing or dropping the boy into the crib so the boy’s head hit the railing. He did this twice daily for the last two weeks of the baby’s life.

He said the baby often was swaddled in a blanket when he was tossed, sometimes rotating “like a football,” documents said.

The night before the baby died, Rosas Olivo threw the child against the railing of the crib while the baby’s mother was asleep. He said he also squeezed J.R. hard when the baby woke up crying after he dropping his phone on his head.

Rosas Olivo said he woke up the next morning worried that he had hurt the baby and found J.R. dead.