Clovis Parents Arrested in Death of Infant Son After Abuse Investigation

Clovis Parents Arrested in Death of Infant Son After Abuse Investigation

CLOVIS, N.M. — A Clovis couple has been arrested following a nearly year-long investigation into the death of their 1-year-old son, who authorities say died from fatal abuse.

On November 27, 2024, 1-year-old Calian Skywater was rushed to Plains Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Detectives noted severe bruising across his head, face, and arms. His mother, Donna Phillips, 22, initially claimed the injuries came from rough play with a sibling and a fall from a high chair.

An autopsy by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator later showed bruising covering 70 to 80 percent of the child’s body along with significant head trauma. While the death was first ruled “undetermined,” further review by a pediatric abuse specialist confirmed the injuries were consistent with fatal abuse.

On September 8, 2025, arrest warrants were issued for Phillips and the boy’s father, Onesimus Skywater, 33. Both were taken into custody with help from the U.S. Marshals Service and booked into the Curry County Adult Detention Center. They face charges of Intentional Abuse of a Child Resulting in Death, a first-degree felony.

Officials also disclosed that Calian and his siblings had been removed from their parents’ care at birth in 2023 by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD). However, the children were returned in October 2024—just weeks before Calian’s death.

Authorities confirmed the surviving children are now in foster care.