Eagan dad accused of suffocating infant son

An Eagan man played a drinking game until he was drunk, then awoke in his bed with his fiancée the next morning to find that he had rolled over and suffocated their baby boy, according to charges filed Tuesday.

Nathan S. Savage, 30, was charged in Dakota County District Court with second-degree manslaughter and child neglect and endangerment in the death on Oct. 19 of Nolan S. Sikich, barely 7 weeks old. Savage appeared in court Tuesday and posted bond.

The boy's mother acknowledged that she and Savage "had been drinking all night" and that she passed out, according to the complaint.

Savage said they were celebrating their anniversary by playing a drinking game with another couple, according to the complaint. Savage estimated that he had two or three beers and a "couple shots" of unknown size, the complaint continued.

According to the complaint:

Police were called to the home in the 4600 block of Penkwe Way by Nolan's mother. Officers noted that she was hysterical, sobbing and screaming, "How could you have done this to our child?"

Firefighters tried in vain to revive the baby.

Savage added that he, the boy's mother and Nolan had all been in the couple's bed for the night. Shortly before 6 a.m., the mother shook Savage awake and asked where their son was.

It was at that point that Savage rolled over and saw that he had been on top of Nolan and said the child was "white as a ghost." He later told police that Nolan's death was his fault.

The Ramsey County medical examiner's office ruled that Nolan died from "asphyxia due to probable overlay" and that the incident was an accident.