Dad charged with seriously injuring 2-month-old daughter (Massillon, Ohio)

Dad CHRISTOPHER GARZA has been charged with felonious assault (among other things) after he admitted that he inflicted multiple fractures onto his 2-month-old daughter.

http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x1876469949/Massillon-dad-charged-with-injuring-infant-girl

Massillon dad charged with injuring infant girl

By Doug Staley
IndeOnline.com staff writer
Posted Jun 28, 2010 @ 11:01 PM

MASSILLON — Police arrested a Massillon man accused of seriously injuring his 2-month-old daughter, according to detective Bobby Grizzard.

Christopher Garza, 20, of 217 Chestnut Ave. NE, was charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony; two counts of endangering children, a third-degree felony; and one count of domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Massillon Municipal Court records. He was arrested Monday.

Garza admitted to causing multiple fractures to Hazel Garza, court records show.

“He made some admissions but we did not believe that it told us an accurate picture of what took place,” Grizzard said.

Grizzard said police built their case with some of the “limited information” supplied by Garza, as well as medical evidence submitted from Akron Children’s Hospital.

The infant suffered fractures to her feet, legs and ribs, and bruises to the left side of her face and back, according to court records. The child underwent surgery at Akron Children’s Hospital last week. On Monday, a night nursing supervisor said Garza was not listed as a patient.

The Stark County Department of Job and Family Services was awarded emergency temporary custody of the child at a hearing last Friday.

A complaint filed last week in Family Court indicated the infant underwent surgery for the injuries to her extremities and additional operations could be needed. Doctors believe the injuries occurred over a period of time, noting some fractures were in “various stages of healing.”

Grizzard said the abuse occurred more than a week before the child was taken to the hospital.

The child was admitted to the hospital June 23 after Garza and his live-in girlfriend scheduled an appointment with her pediatrician for treatment of an ongoing fever. The doctor advised the parents to take the infant to the hospital.

According to court records, Garza and the child’s mother had another child who died of SIDS while the couple lived in Florida. The father reportedly was investigated by Florida officials following the child’s death. The family relocated to Ohio two months ago.