Man with history of child abuse charged in death of girlfriend's 1-year-old in Little Falls

A man with a history of child abuse and other violent crimes killed his girlfriend's 1-year-old daughter while alone with the girl in his Little Falls home, according to charges filed Friday.

Erik A. Blanco, 40, was charged in Morrison County District Court with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death on July 6 of Riverlynn VanNorman.

Blanco was arrested Wednesday, appeared in court Friday and remains jailed without bail. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

An autopsy by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office revealed that Riverlynn had "significant blunt head trauma" including skull fractures. She had scrapes to her neck, chest, abdomen and inside her lower lip "consistent with pressure on the face and asphyxia injury." The examination also found bruises behind her ears and on her face.

"There is nothing to suggest that the majority of the injuries are several days old," the charges read. "The injuries are more consistent with acute injury within minutes to hours."

Blanco's criminal history includes convictions for threats of violence, domestic assault, assault with a weapon, and first-degree assault in McLeod County, where he gave a 1-year-old a large skull fracture while caring for the child.

According to the criminal complaint:

Officers arrived and began lifesaving measures. Skroch was crying and screaming, while Blanco appeared stressed, prayed at times "but [was] otherwise unemotional." A deputy and paramedics noted seeing marks on Riverlynn's face and neck.

Ambulance personnel took over before taking the girl to the hospital, where she died.

Skroch told investigators that she and Riverlynn had been staying with Blanco for about a week. Prior to calling 911, Skroch left her daughter with Blanco while she went to the liquor store. She said she arrived to find Riverlynn not breathing while Blanco was trying to resuscitate her.