Police and prosecutors have wrongly fingered Skyler DeMatteo, one of two teenagers facing child abuse charges for feeding a young boy vodka shots on New Year’s Eve, according to his defense attorney.
The other teen in the apartment that night instigated the drinking session that led to the 9-year-old boy being taken to the hospital, drunk and vomiting, according to defense attorney Martin Stuart.
“We believe that Mr. DeMatteo will ultimately be vindicated of any wrongdoing in this case,” Stuart said.
DeMatteo’s preliminary hearing, scheduled for today, was postponed until April 5.
DeMatteo, an 18-year-old high school student and father of a 2-year-old, was at first released on bond but returned to custody on a separate charge of disturbing the peace earlier this month.
According to the arrest affidavit, DeMatteo and Tyrale Haselrig-Graham, 19, entered the victim’s apartment while the child’s mother was out washing laundry. The boy’s older sister was watching him.
When the sister left to buy soda, DeMatteo and Haselrig-Graham allegedly began drinking vodka and gave the boy five drinks of the alcohol, laughing when he got dizzy and fell off a chair, Denver Police Det. Nash Gurule wrote in the affadavit.
By the time the mother returned, the boy was vomiting in the bathroom and required medical attention.
DeMatteo faces a Class 3 felony for child abuse causing serious bodily injury, which could land him in prison anywhere from 10 to 32 years, Stuart said. He also faces a felony contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge.
Haselrig-Graham pled not guilty March 17 to both those charges.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com.
