WHEAT RIDGE — A father is searching for answers after his 9-month-old daughter was rushed to the hospital last summer and died.
The medical examiner released the autopsy six months later, in late January, and concluded the baby died of blunt force injuries to the head.
Gianna Rosales, known as Gigi, was rushed to the hospital on Aug. 3, 2020, and she was taken off life support one day later, according to her father Anthony Rosales.
One day after Gianna died, a medical examiner conducted an autopsy report, but it wasn’t released until late January 2021. The autopsy report says the cause of the injuries to Gianna’s head remains unclear, which is why the cause of death was ruled “undetermined.”
Anthony said Gianna's mother was caring for her when she was taken to the hospital. The parents were under a verbal agreement to split custody.
It's been six months since Anthony buried his daughter, and he said he's still fighting for justice. He's frustrated there's been no arrests or suspects named.
“I just want to know what happened,” Anthony said.
He said he did everything he could to make it known he was concerned about his daughter’s well being and safety.
“I called the police department multiple times,” Anthony said.
He reached out to the Wheat Ridge Police Department, the Denver Police Department and the Lakewood Police Department.
A spokesperson with the Lakewood Police Department said in August officers attempted four welfare checks following two reports filed in late July by Anthony. They say the mother was not home and they spoke with the grandmother.
Anthony said he also had a case opened with the Jefferson County Department of Human Services. He never met his social worker and blames the department for their slow response.
“I called them that day to go see my daughter, to see how conditions were and see how she was doing and they didn’t — they said they were too busy,” Anthony Rosales. “The system could have made sure that my daughter was okay."
Denver7 reached out to the Jefferson County Department of Human Services to inquire about the accusations, but a spokesperson said they are not at liberty to release any information.
The Colorado Department of Human Services launched an investigation into the death of a 9-month-old child that fits Gigi's description, but a spokesperson with the department said they can’t comment on ongoing investigations.
“I want somebody to be locked up,” Anthony said. “I want justice for my daughter.”
In a statement from the Denver Police Department, the case is described as a challenging investigation:
“Since Baby Gianna’s death on August 4, 2020, investigators from the Homicide Unit have been vigorously investigating this case to determine how she sustained the trauma that was documented in the Medical Examiner’s report. This has included numerous interviews, search warrants and significant investigative work. Investigators are using all available resources and techniques to further this investigation to determine the source of the trauma. While the information available for release is limited due to the on-going investigation, detectives regularly speak with Mr. Rosales to provide updates on the status of the case. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers.”
Anthony said he doesn’t understand why the investigation is taking so long if police knew who was caring for his daughter. He said he won’t rest until someone is held accountable for her death.
