Albert Lea Man Charged With Murder

Austin Michael Navarro, a 24 year-old Albert Lea man
was charged with Murder in the 2 nd Degree and Child Endangerment in the death of a 2 year-
old child who had been left in his care at the childs Albert Lea residence. The childs mother
had left the child in Navarros care along with their infant when she went to work on the
morning of July 6, 2023. She received text messages from Navarro that same morning
regarding injuries sustained by the child in a fall down the stairs. The mother left work early
after seeing pictures of the childs injuries and found the door to her residence wedged shut
with a knife and the defendant in a locked bedroom with the infant in his arms and the two
year-old unresponsive on the bed. The mother called 911. Extensive life-saving attempts on-
scene and at the hospital were unsuccessful, and the child was pronounced dead at 12:54 PM
on July 6, 2023. An autopsy revealed multiple bruises, abrasions, broken ribs, and internal
bleeding resulting from a lacerated liver and pancreas and concluded that the cause of death
was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner of death was homicide. Navarro appeared
before the district court in Albert Lea and was ordered held on $1,000,000 unconditional bail.