DeKalb man pleads not guilty to attempted murder of baby

SYCAMORE – A DeKalb man has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder of a baby, the latest as he awaits proceedings from jail.

Prosecutors recently told a judge they’re in the evidence-gathering stage, expected to include more than a dozen cellphone videos of Maximino Mendoza, 26, intentionally choking and hurting a 1-year-old.

Mendoza was charged on Dec. 20, and the baby’s mother, Destiny N. Conner, 24, was charged on Dec. 23, after DeKalb police found the videos, according to court records.

Mendoza is charged with first-degree attempted murder of a baby, two felony counts of aggravated battery to a child, one count of felony aggravated domestic battery and two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison. He’s being held without release at DeKalb County jail in Sycamore.

A DeKalb County public defender was withdrawn from Mendoza’s case Jan. 27, records show. He’s now represented by defense attorney Miguel Miranda, who appeared at an arraignment hearing on March 25 in front of Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery.

Prosecutors told the judge they’re now in the evidence-gathering stage of the case. DeKalb police have said the investigation was built largely on video evidence of the violence against the baby, and hospital records of the baby’s injuries, which included multiple fractured bones, court records show.

“Apparently some of it [digital evidence] is so voluminous...they’re trying to figure out how to get it to the defense,” prosecutor Neil Michling said during the hearing, standing in for lead assistant state’s attorney Alicia Caplan.

Mendoza’s case is expected to move forward for trial.

In a police interview, Mendoza admitted to hurting the child, according to court filings.

“Maximino initially said he did it to ‘toughen up’ [the baby] but later said he was trying to get back at Destiny because he found conversations on Destiny’s phone between Destiny and other men,” police wrote in Dec. 20 court filings.

The baby’s mother is charged with felony reckless conduct and misdemeanor child endangerment, court records show. If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison. Conner, who is not in police custody, was arraigned on Feb. 10, records show. She’s represented by special public defender Andrew Nickel.

At the time of his arrest, Mendoza was on probation for an unlawful use of a weapon conviction out of Cook County, Montgomery said.

Conner’s phone contained more than 15 videos that show a man, later identified as Mendoza, holding a hand over the baby’s mouth and nose, restricting the baby’s breathing, slapping the baby in the face and pulling the baby’s hair, according to court records. The videos were sent from a contact labeled in Conner’s phone as “Max,” with a phone number matching Mendoza’s phone, police said.

Police said the mother viewed the videos but did not report Mendoza to police or relinquish custody of her baby.

Byrd said the baby was released into the custody of a family member.

Mendoza’s next ordered to appear for a status hearing at 9 a.m. on May 6. Conner’s next hearing is 9:45 a.m. on May 13.