Police officials said the 32-year-old dad, later identified as Malcolm, was taken into custody last week and later charged with aggravated child abuse after he reportedly shook his 3-month-old baby so hard the baby was left fighting for his life. Now, 8 months after the incident, the baby remains at the hospital on a ventilator, police officials said. Malcolm is being held on $150,000 bond.
In January 2023, officers responded to the victim’s home after Malcolm called 911 and told the dispatcher that when he picked up his baby son, the child went limp and was unresponsive. Doctors told investigators that the boy was suffering from a brain bleed and alerted authorities of possible abuse.
Doctors also said that the baby went into cardiac arrest and his heart stopped for 16 minutes. He also suffered a possible arm fracture. Doctors told investigators that it’s impossible for the baby to suffer injuries like that on his own, because they are are immobile.
Hospital staff told investigators that the boy’s injuries were reportedly caused by abusive head trauma, likely from someone shaking him, L&C reported. During an interview with investigators, the boy’s older brother said that Malcolm sometimes became frustrated with the baby and had shaken him in the past, including the morning of the incident. The father took care of the baby while the mother worked, police officials said. The baby’s injuries would be comparable to being in a car crash, police said.