I Hate Seeing Her Every Day”: Boyfriend’s Disturbing Texts Revealed in Infant’s Murder Case

Young couple in Susquehanna Township charged with murder and child abuse after the tragic death of their 4-month-old daughter, Ioni Souders, due to severe injuries and neglect.

Susquehanna Township, Pennsylvania-Authorities in Dauphin County have charged two young parents in the tragic death of 4-month-old Ioni Souders, who was found unresponsive in her home on March 28. Police say the infant’s death was the result of repeated abuse and neglect at the hands of her mother, 20-year-old Layla Souders, and her mother's boyfriend, 24-year-old Jose Melendez Padilla.

Police responded to a call regarding an infant in cardiac arrest at an apartment on the 3200 block of Wakefield Road near Harrisburg at approximately 2:14 p.m. The baby girl was rushed to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

In an initial statement, Souders claimed she had accidentally dropped the baby on her head a few days earlier, which might have caused the injuries. However, the medical team determined the infant had sustained a series of traumatic injuries, including a skull fracture, a compound fracture to her right femur, multiple broken ribs, and severe trauma to her brain, neck, and chest. Many of the injuries were in various stages of healing, leading investigators to conclude that they were inflicted on more than one occasion.

Under further questioning, Souders admitted that her story about the fall was false. She told investigators that Melendez Padilla had been abusing the baby since late February and confessed to skipping a scheduled medical checkup for the child because of the extent of her injuries.

Melendez Padilla also admitted to parts of the abuse during the investigation. Authorities say they found disturbing text messages in which he expressed resentment and even hatred toward the infant. In one message, he reportedly wrote, “I hate that you’ve felt her for eight f---ing months, a f---ing life that is not ours… I would love to love her, but I swear I can’t.”

He also suggested giving the baby up for adoption and wrote that he couldn’t stand to see her every day. In a message dated March 22, he admitted to striking the baby, which caused her to lose consciousness and require CPR. Later, he noticed swelling in her leg, consistent with the femur fracture.

Neither Melendez Padilla nor Souders sought medical care for Ioni at any point. Instead, police say he used Google and TikTok to research her symptoms and at-home remedies. Souders is accused of deleting text messages and leaving the baby alone with Melendez Padilla on the day she died.

Souders has been charged with third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

Melendez Padilla faces more severe charges, including first-degree murder, child abuse, and evidence tampering. Authorities also discovered that he is in the country illegally, having entered in May 2024 and failing to leave as required by August. He is now facing additional charges related to fraudulent identification documents found in his possession.

Both defendants are held in Dauphin County Prison without bond and are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. The investigation remains active as officials seek justice for baby Ioni and call attention to the urgent need for reporting suspected child abuse.