Baby died of alcohol intoxication with a BAC of 0.149, PA cops say. Dad charged

An 8-week-old baby who died of alcohol intoxication also had meth in his system when he died, Pennsylvania authorities say.

The three-year investigation into the infant’s death has now led to the arrest of his father, 34-year-old Robert Jenkins Jr., according to the Altoona Police Department.

The baby’s name was Maximus Robert Jenkins, according to an obituary.

The father said that on Sept. 5, 2022, he fell asleep with his son on a pillow beside him, police said. When Jenkins woke up, he said his baby was blue in color and unresponsive, so he called 911.

“Police found the baby being held by Jenkins, who was not performing CPR and told officers that he didn’t know what to do,” the Altoona Mirror reported, citing an affidavit of probable cause.

The coroner responded to the home and found the baby had a bloody nose and swollen stomach, the Altoona Mirror reported.

It was initially believed the boy died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but toxicology reports revealed he had a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.149 and meth in his system, police said.

Jenkins denied giving his baby drugs or alcohol and accused the baby’s mother of “breaking into the residence and giving the child alcohol,” WJAC reported, citing the court documents.

The mother, however, had been issued a no-contact order and was not near the home, according to WJAC.

He also blamed his sister, accusing her of touching the baby with meth residue on her hands, the Altoona Mirror reported.

Those accusations, police said, were unfounded. It was determined that Jenkins was the only person in the home and he would have been the only person responsible for administering the alcohol.

Jenkins was charged Aug. 18 with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, reckless endangerment, involuntary manslaughter and use of drug paraphernalia, court records show.

“Max will be forever remembered and deeply loved,” an obituary says. “Although his time on this earth was short, he brought immense joy to his family and was his Mommy and Daddy’s world.”

Altoona is about a 100-mile drive east from Pittsburgh.

This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Baby died of alcohol intoxication with a BAC of 0.149, PA cops say. Dad charged."