Enrique Lopez-Gomez, 32, of West Grove, entered a guilty plea on Feb. 11 to murder in the third degree and endangering the welfare of children for punching a nine-month-old child and failing to administer or seek out medical attention to save him.

Lopez-Gomez was arrested in June of 2024. He remains incarcerated in Chester County Prison pending sentencing.

At the time of the incident, Lopez-Gomez was tasked with caregiver responsibilities of the child victim when he allegedly fell on top of the child and subsequently punched him in the abdomen when the child began to cry in pain. 

Lopez-Gomez did not tell anyone about the child’s injuries, nor did he administer care for the child—even when his condition worsened as the evening went on. The child was unresponsive when EMS arrived at a residence in Kennett Square, and the child was later pronounced deceased at the Nemours A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. The child’s death was caused by blunt force trauma leading to an intestinal rupture and hemorrhage in the corresponding soft tissue. The child was also observed to have large bruising in the skin and muscle around the abdomen.

“This guilty plea to murder is an important step toward holding the defendant accountable for this unthinkable death,” said Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe in a statement.

Officials reminded everyone that, if you have concerns about the safety of a child, you should say something. Call 911 or call the Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Childline reports can also be anonymous.