4-month-old dies after dad is accused of throwing him while mom worked, PA police say
A 4-month-old baby died after his father was accused of throwing him and causing skull fractures, according to Pennsylvania police and news outlets.
On Sept. 10, officers were called to a Pittsburgh hospital for reports of an unresponsive 4-month-old boy who was brought in, according to a news release from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
Police said the baby was in “grave condition” and had severe injuries. On Sept. 14, he was pronounced dead.
Police said prior to the child’s death they found the baby’s 28-year-old father hiding in a basement and arrested him after obtaining a search warrant for the home.
McClatchy News is not naming the man in order to protect the identity of the children involved.
According to a criminal complaint, the baby’s 4-year-old sibling told police that their dad threw the baby and threw them as well, WTAE reported.
The baby’s mother told police she was at work when the father called her saying that their twin toddlers knocked over a bassinet with the baby inside and that the baby fell out, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
When she went home, she “found the house in disarray,” the complaint said, according to the news outlet. She told police she treated the baby at home, but he got worse. The next morning, she walked to a hospital, but on the way there, the baby became unresponsive.
A doctor said the baby had four skull fractures, “fractures to both shoulders, dead brain tissue and bruising on his eye and scalp,” KDKA reported. Doctors said the injuries were not consistent with a fall from a bassinet and were caused by three or more blows to the head, WTAE reported.
The 4-year-old twins also showed signs of abuse, police told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The father is charged with five felony counts of aggravated assault and two counts of endangering welfare of children. Police did not say whether additional charges will be filed since the child has died.
This story was originally published September 16, 2024 at 3:56 PM with the headline "4-month-old dies after dad is accused of throwing him while mom worked, PA police say."
