Jake Gonzalez, 19, Found Guilty Of Child Abuse Resulting In Death, Terroristic Threats

After little more than two hours deliberation, the jury came back with a guilty verdict for Jake J. Gonzalez, 19, of Lincoln, shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, October 25. Gonzalez was found guilty of both child abuse resulting in death, a Class 1B felony, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, 18 months post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine.Gonzalez did not react visibly to the verdict.Vicky Johnson, the presiding judge, ordered a PSI (Pre-Sentencing Investigation) from the probation office. The next step is sentencing, which is scheduled for January 6, 2022.The jury had the option of finding Gonzalez guilty of manslaughter. The verdict of guilty to the charge of child abuse resulting in death means the jury determined Gonzalez intentionally inflicted the injuries that lead to the death of two-year-old Hollen Siedschlag.Gonzalez was arrested in Fairbury on Friday night, February 26 of this year. According to a statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued shortly after the defendant’s arrest, deputies were called to the apartment building at 720 J Street in Fairbury for a welfare check on Bailey Siedschlag, who was living at the residence.Upon arrival, Siedschlag stated that she needed an ambulance for her two-year-old child. Deputies found the two-year-old child in an apartment closet, unresponsive and showing severe injuries to the torso and head. An ambulance was called at approximately 6:30 p.m. The child was transported to Jefferson Community Health and Life by County Ambulance District #33. From there the child was flown via helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.A male subject, identified as Jake Gonzalez, was present at the scene. According to the Sheriff’s Office, “Upon further investigation, it was suspected Gonzalez caused these injuries to the child.”After hearing deputies call for an ambulance, Sheriff’s Office officials said that Gonzalez fled on foot and a foot pursuit ensued. Gonzalez initially evaded deputies. Dispatch requested more manpower at approximately 7:00 p.m. Gonzalez was apprehended approximately 40 minutes later by deputies at his mother’s home.The trial began Monday, October 18 and was scheduled for two weeks but went faster than anticipated. Evidence and testimony by the state took less than three days. The defendant is represented by Kelly S. Breen of the Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy, who called just one witness, Jefferson County Deputy Amanda Schaefer. The defense rested its case after Schaefer’s testimony.Closing Statement of the StateSpecial Deputy Jefferson County Attorney William P. Tangeman of the District Attorney’s Office gave the State’s closing statement. After reviewing the testimony and evidence presented in court last week, Tangeman said that one of only two people could be guilty, Bailey Siedschlag or Jake Gonzalez. Tangeman then listed ten reasons why Gonzalez must the guilty party.One: The defendant was the only person who was ever alone with the victim on the night in question.Two: It was Bailey Siedschlag who called for help. A recording of the 911 call from Siedschlag had been played for the jury. No testimony or evidence was offered that indicated Gonzalez ever tried to get help for the victim.Three: When law enforcement arrived, Gonzalez fled the scene. Both testimony of law enforcement and the body cam video of a Deputy was offered as evidence of this.Four: Tangeman cited the demeanor of both Siedschlag and Gonzalez at the time of the incident and after. In particular, Tangeman noted a phone call made by Gonzalez from the Seward County jail, where he was being held, and his conversations with both his brother and mother.Five: Gonzalez had just begun a new job and, according to testimony by Siedschlag, his sleep schedule was disrupted. The morning of February 26, Siedschlag testified that Gonzalez did not want to go to work because he was tired. Tangeman said that could have made the defendant more irritable and less patient.Six: According to Siedschlag’s testimony, there was a history of the defendant yelling at and becoming aggressive with the victim.Seven: Siedschlag’s testimony indicated Gonzalez had taken the victim to their apartment to change a dirty diaper. Law enforcement reported finding dirty diapers in the apartment.Eight: Tangeman again pointed to the phone call from jail. In that call, Gonzalez claimed the victim’s injuries happened at the daycare, telling his brother “You know that he would come home from daycare like that.”However, Tangeman said video surveillance from Kid’s Connection, the daycare center where the victim had spent the day before returning home, showed the victim was not injured at that time.Nine: Tangeman again referenced the phone calls from jail and noted that Gonzalez never once accused Siedschlag of injuring the victim.At this point, Breen objected and asked for a sidebar. After speaking with the judge and attorneys out of earshot of the rest of the court, the attorneys returned to their positions and Tangeman continued.Ten: Tangeman said the phone calls from jail were evidence of “consciousness of guilt.” In those phone calls, the State alleged Gonzalez was attempting to interfere with witnesses by trying to convince Siedschlag not to testify against him. Tangeman said, “There’s an effort to advance her not to say anything. And there’s these sort of veiled threats that if she does, ‘I can do something to get you in trouble.’”Recordings of those phone calls had been introduced as evidence by the State.Gonzalez was also charged with terroristic threats. According to Siedschlag’s testimony, Gonzalez refused to allow Siedschlag to summon medical help for her son and also threatened to “do the same” to her daughter.Closing Statement of the DefenseWhen Breen gave his closing arguments, he said about the victim, prior to his death, “He kept showing up to daycare, remember this is February, January, the winter, and he’s showing up without shoes, wearing dirty clothes.”Breen brought up injuries that had occurred prior to the boy’s death, “We know that there was a mark on his backside that was investigated because some people believe they saw a hand print. I believe that excessive discipline was used against him.”The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also investigated a mark on the boy’s stomach. Breen said, “But we know that there was a suspicious mark on his stomach. Around that time they (DHHS) became involved. Everyone says impetigo (a bacterial infection). And I objected to lay people testifying about impetigo. I’ve never seen a doctor’s report. No one’s ever produced a doctor’s report. No one’s ever been able to tell me a doctor that diagnosed it.”It had been suggested during court proceedings that the impetigo resulted from a cut or burn on the boy’s stomach.“But I would like to point out to you something else that occurred around February 9 besides Health and Human Services getting involved,” Breen said.Breen said that it was only after finding a card from law enforcement on her door that they were investigating the matter that Siedschlag contacted the Human Resources Department of her employer and said, “‘I’ve been missing work because Jake Gonzalez is abusive.’”“So if there’s any history here, there’s a history of Bailey Siedschlag not being an appropriate mother and,” Breen said. “Not being there for Hollen when he needed her. And there’s certainly evidence that this child was not receiving appropriate care, maybe being disciplined excessively in the days prior to February 26.”Breen said, “That is what this case comes down to, is the State has relied on Bailey Siedschlag to prove its case and that’s very problematic.”RebuttalThe State was given an opportunity to rebut Breen’s closing arguments and Tangeman refuted the notion that the State’s case was dependent on Bailey Siedschlag.“Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a case about whether Bailey was a perfect parent,” said Tangeman. “This is about what happened to Hollen on February 26.”Gonzalez was held on a $15 million cash bond since his arrest, meaning the entire amount of the bond would have to be before he could be released, rather than the usual 10 percent. After the verdict was read, the State made a motion that the bond be revoked. Breen said, “No comment.”Judge Johnson granted the motion and revoked the bond.Gonzalez was free on a $250,000 (10 percent) bond when he was arrested on February 26, 2021 in an unrelated shooting incident.

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