Dad throws 1-year-old baby (Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands)

Dad LEE JESSE OMAR REYES is accused of throwing the 1-year-old baby, grabbing the mom by the hair, and threatening them both with a knife. There were previous incidents as well, but the mother was afraid to report them.

http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=91928

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
$25K bail for man who allegedly beats wife, kids
By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.Reporter

A man accused by his common-law wife of hitting her and their children several times in the past four years was required to post a $25,825 cash bail yesterday.

Lee Jesse Omar Reyes was charged by the Attorney General's Office with child abuse or neglect, assault with a dangerous weapon and disturbing the peace.

Reyes was also directed not have direct or indirect contact with his wife and children. Based on the affidavit of police detective Christopher Leon Guerrero, a female reported a domestic violence incident at about 12:45am last June 28.

Police investigators who responded learned that about 2pm on June 27, the defendant's wife was preparing milk for their 1-year-old son when the husband arrived and they had an altercation, during which Reyes told his wife to move out and leave the house.

The victim told police that she saw her husband take their sleeping son by the arm and toss the baby to another bed about five feet away. At one point, Reyes allegedly grabbed her hair and dragged her to the floor. He again picked up the baby and tossed him out of the bedroom door. Reyes also allegedly threatened them with a knife. That's when she called her father to pick her up and the children. She then told police later that she did not have the courage to report previous incidents.

It was also found out the defendant has several traffic cases.

Reyes appeared during a bail hearing yesterday in handcuffs and with police escorts. He was represented by assistant public defender Matthew Holley. Assistant attorney general George Hasselback represented the government. Wiseman set the preliminary hearing to July 20 and the arraignment to July 27.