For Owen’s sake, call 911

We find ourselves once again reporting, writing and publishing the story of a child whose death was allegedly caused by a man who was supposed to be caring for him, loving him and keeping him safe.

Reading the investigator’s affidavit about the case, what stands out is how difficult it can be to distinguish bruising and injuries gained from active living vs. those inflicted through abuse.

It took a coroner’s exam to identify the internal bleeding that eventually claimed the life of 19-month-old Owen Reak.

The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Owen said the infant had visible bruises on his face and buttocks, and he died from internal bleeding caused by what would be consistent with someone punching or kicking the child’s abdomen, or an object hitting the child’s abdomen.

Owen’s family noticed he wasn’t acting himself. His maternal grandfather insisted the mother take him to the hospital for an exam, but his symptoms were attributed to an illness and not trauma. That examination included an X-ray of the child’s abdomen and hospital staff reported he likely had a case of stomach flu.

When he returned home, the child looked “terrible,” according to one account.

Owen was staying overnight with his paternal grandparents when he was discovered not breathing and cold to the touch in his crib.

It seems that Owen was loved by generations of his family. In a perfect world, this boy would have grown to be a man, to shower his own children with love and to teach them to do the same. Instead, his family planned his funeral and mourns his loss.

Charged with causing the injuries that lead to Owen’s April 10 death is a 2004 Wasilla High graduate who is now in custody in the Mesa County Detention Facility in Grand Junction, Colo., on $1,001,000 bond.

Alaska leads the nation in cases of reported child physical and sexual abuse. Turning this vile tide begins at home. It means paying attention to how we treat our children and how we teach them to treat others.

And it means calling 911 and trusting law enforcement to investigate. It takes a strong, brave, determined woman or man to place this call on behalf of a child. It won’t be easy, especially if you suspect it is someone in your family causing the harm.

What’s striking about reading the arrest warrant affidavit for Keel is how many others didn’t act on warning signs. At the time of his death, Owen had recently had a cast removed from a leg he broke while in Keel’s care. Keel said the injury happened when the leg became tangled in the child’s high chair. Another time, Owen’s mother noticed facial bruising that also happened while in Keel’s care, which Keel said happened with the infant tripped over a puzzle. Other family members report they noticed more bruising to the child since the mother began dating Keel.

You can read more about this tragic story in today’s Frontiersman and view the entire arrest warrant affidavit online at Frontiersman.com.

Kids will be kids and aren’t immune to the bumps and bruises of everyday life.

But however difficult, it is far easier to call police and ask them to investigate instead of learning later how a child died from a forensic pathologist.

When in doubt, err on Owen’s side and call 911.