Mount Vernon Man Held On Assault of Infant

Mount Vernon, Wa: In December of 2014, Detectives with the Mount Vernon Police Department were notified by Social Workers from Seattle Children’s Hospital that they were in the care of a 6-week old child and they believed the child had injuries that were consistent with  child abuse.

In addition to the injuries to the child, the Social Worker was concerned that the mother of the child was on drugs, because she was nodding off and falling asleep while speaking with doctors.  The hospital staff would not let the mother hold the baby due to her behavior.   The social worker also advised of erratic behavior displayed by the father of the child, who they believed was intoxicated and because of the intoxication, they had  asked him to leave and not come back.

According to the Probable Cause Affidavit obtained via a Public Information request from The Skagit County Prosecutors Office, Mount Vernon Detectives traveled to Seattle to interview the doctors and the  mother about the injuries to the child.

During the interview with Detectives, the mother stated  that 3 days earlier,  the child had suffered severe swelling of the genitals.  She stated that she had taken the child to the Skagit Valley Hospital Emergency Room  in Mount Vernon. The mother said she was then sent to Seattle Children’s Hospital for treatment and evaluation by doctors.

The Doctors at Seattle Children’s Hospital reported to Detectives that the child had been struck from below causing bruises on the buttocks crease and below the scrotum.  The doctor also  reported that the penis was then pulled upward by a force, causing tearing of the penis and the impact ended on the  pubic region, where there was also additional bruising. There was swelling of the scrotum and the penis.   The doctor stated he felt the injuries were most likely caused by a single, extremely forceful blow from below, such as from a fist or a kick. The doctor also noted there was redness of the eyes and bruising on one of the eye lids which could have been from an additional blow.

Detectives continued their interview with the mother. She indicated that she does not leave her child with anyone and only has someone else watch her child if she is taking a shower or in the other room.   She then provided detectives with a list of the people that might watch her child in that type of situation.  She denied causing the injuries or knowing who might have.

Detectives were then recontacted by the the social worker, who informed them that X-Ray scan results showed new and old fractures to the child legs and ribs. The old fractures were partially healed and could be several weeks old.

The doctors indicated this showed a pattern of abuse and the child was not safe in the custody of his parents.

Detectives took this new information back to the mother, where again she denied knowing anything about the injuries or how they could have occurred.   The child and another sibling were taken into protective custody by Social Workers.

The Following day, Child Interview Specialists interviewed a 9 year old sibling.  The sibling indicated that they spent time at another apartment sometimes so the mother could “have a break.” This was inconsistent with the mothers statements to Officers.  The child also told detectives that the infant stayed with the father on occasion while  the mother and sibling went to do laundry, which was not located at their apartment building.

The same day, detectives attempted to contact the mother at her apartment, where no one answered.

A concerned neighbor spoke to detectives about the infant. The neighbor told detectives that they routinely saw the father, roughly toss the child into the air and on one occasion they witnessed him forcefully  spread the infants feet apart and then flick the infants scrotum.

The neighbor also reported that the parents  use heroin. She had previously used drugs and saw paraphernalia in the parents apartment and had witnessed the mother smoking heroin when she was using their restroom.

On once occasion the neighbor had contacted the mother via Facebook and asked if she could come over. The mother told her no, that it wasn’t a good time, but she went over anyway.   When the neighbor arrived she saw bruising on the infants cheeks and the area around the infants eyes were black and the eyes were bright red and bloodshot.   She stated she asked the mother about the injuries and the mother told her the father was holding the baby and slipped and the baby fell, causing the injuries.   The neighbor said that minutes later the mother was changing the infant and she observed the infants “balls and penis” were very swollen and bruised.  She again asked the mother about the injuries and was told by the mother that the doctors the previous night had told her that it was an infection and told her to “water down the wipes” when changing the infant to avoid infection.

Detectives questioned the woman on what  date that this happened and she was unsure. The detectives then obtained a search warrant for Facebook messages and confirmed the date and conversation as stated by the neighbor.

On December 9th, Mount Vernon Detectives attended a meeting with Child Protective Services and Seattle Children’s Hospital employees to discuss the case.   During the interview the doctor indicated that the long term injuries to the scrotum were unknown and he cited that sometimes people have lost testicles as a result of these type of injuries. The doctor stated, the full extent of the infants injuries might not be known for a year or more.

Later that day, Detectives interviewed another witness. That witness stated he had seen the parents fighting one day. He stated the child was unsecured in the car seat and the father kicked the car seat and the baby went flying and described. He said that is how the infant ended up with bruises on his face and eyes.   On a seperate incident the witness stated that he witnessed the father rip the car seat out of the car and man handle the car seat with the infant inside.

On December 30th, 2014, detectives received additional reports from Seattle Children’s Hospital to review. The reports indicate additional rib fractures that were not seen in the original X-Rays because the injuries were too new at the time.

In January of 2015, there were court hearings in Skagit County Superior Court. Multiple witnesses testified against the father.

One witness stated the father had overdosed on Thanksgiving Day at another apartment when the infant  was in the apartment with him

Another witness stated the father had told her he dropped the baby after he tripped.

The mother testified that the father was upset on one occasion when she took the baby with her. When she returned the father roughly unbuckled the baby  and jerked him out of the car. She stated that her brother got really upset with the father because he felt the father was being too rough with the baby.

When the mother was asked about diaper changing in reference to the father, she stated that he wiped the baby too hard when he was changing him and would open the legs widely too.

Another witness testified that she witnessed the father changing the diaper of the infant and that he was holding the infants legs too high and then threw the wipes in the baby’s face.  She stated after that he picked the baby up like a doll and started rocking the infant and the infants head was moving all around.

A separate witness described an incident in November where the father needed a place to change the infant. She stated she was appalled when she allowed him a spot to do so and the way he handled the infant. In her testimony, she said, she noticed the infants testicles were really swollen after the diaper was taken off. She thought it was odd, how closely the father was examining them and said he pretty much had the baby doing the splits, pulling his legs really far apart. She said the father then flipped the baby over onto his face at which point she took the baby from him.  She stated he was “man handling” the baby.  She also said that the father was “on drugs” on every occasion she has seen him.

The final witness stated the same sentiments. The father pulled the legs apart really hard and the infant  was screaming. She noted the infants  testicles were black and blue.  She said she did not think the father was in his right mind and said he wasn’t using good judgement.  She also stated she has never seen him when he was not high.

On March 12, 2015, Detectives again contacted CPS for a follow up. They were told that the infant is still recovering from the injuries and Children’s noted the child still has fluid in a kidney.

On May 7th, 2015, the father was arrested and is currently being held in the Skagit County Jail on an Investigative Hold. He is not being named for the protection of the two children.

The Father has a long list of other crimes including multiple counts of Vehicle Prowling, Theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, trafficking in stolen property and malicious mischief.