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Man Wanted In Death Of Baby Released From Hospital Before Charges Filed

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Demanding answers. Police say Wayne Green caused the accident that killed one-year-old Jeremaih Perry. Now there is growing anger about why he was released from the hospital just before he was to be charged in the death.

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren with those unanswered questions.

The victim's family is questioning why a man police considered so dangerous was not being monitored. They say someone has to be held accountable. Baltimore City police say it's not their fault. They just want to find him.

Wayne Anthony Green Jr., 38, walked right out of Shock Trauma just hours after police say he caused a crash in Baltimore City that killed 16-month-old Jermiah Perry. He was fleeing police at the time after hitting an officer in Baltimore County and driving on a revoked license.

The family of the dead infant is demanding answers and accountability.

"I'm very outraged because somebody should have been there guarding him at all times," said Chrystal Perry, victim's grandmother.

The case raises questions about whether Baltimore City and county officials and whether police and prosecutors were communicating properly.

City police say they had no grounds to detain Green, and were waiting for charges from the State's Attorney's Office, which is customary in complex cases like this.

Police rejected criticism someone should have been guarding Green.

In a statement, the State's Attorney's Office says:

"As is evident by our ability to bring charges the very next day, the State's Attorney's Office worked quickly and closely with the police department to obtain the requisite evidence necessary to appropriately charge the defendant with vehicular manslaughter. If the suspect in this case was immediately charged with a lesser offense, due to double jeopardy, that could have legally obstructed us from attempting to seek more serious charges at the conclusion of the investigation."

"We didn't know the charges were going to be granted in the afternoon. Baltimore police didn't have the right to detain Green any longer than we could at that point in time," said T.J. Smith, Baltimore City Police Department.

Police listed Green's last address as Mayfield Avenue in Northeast Baltimore, not far from Belair Road. No one came to the door.

"That's just like them releasing a murderer from jail. He does have to answer for his wrongdoings," said Chrystal Perry.

"We're not saying that Mr. Green is on the run right now, we're saying if Mr. Green is watching this... turn yourself in," said Smith.

Sources tell WJZ a Baltimore County officer initially accompanied Green to the hospital and was later relieved by a city officer, and if the county had charged Green in the initial hit and run, that would have been enough to detain him.

"If we know he was in another incident in another jurisdiction, why didn't that jurisdiction place charges for what happened?" said Brandon Scott, Baltimore City Council.

Green has a lengthy criminal record. He pleaded guilty 14 years ago to homicide by motor vehicle and driving drunk.

WJZ also checked with Shock Trauma. Their policy is if someone is not in police custody and is medically able to be discharged, they have no reason to detain them.

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