Dad accused of beating 4-month-old son (Austin, Texas)

Dad FELIXINO VILLEGAS has been charged with felony child abuse for beating his 4-month-old son. And also with assault for attacking the baby's mother. As usual, you have an abuser who was "frustrated" with a crying baby. Of course, Daddy wants to blame Mom for the baby's injuries, even though he's the one who wouldn't let the police in and was resisting arrest. Not a very convincing act, dude.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/crime/4-month-old-baby-injured-man-charged

4-month-old baby injured, man charged
Wife also assaulted, according to police report
Updated: Monday, 03 Jan 2011, 7:04 PM CST
Published : Monday, 03 Jan 2011, 4:22 PM CST

Pamela Cosel
AUSTIN (KXAN) - A 4-month-old baby was seriously injured on Thursday after he was allegedly beaten by his father, according to Austin police.

Austin police responded to a home in the 1800 block of Burton Drive when a woman flagged down officers and said she was in a fight with her husband, Felixino Villegas, 36. She told police he also hurt their infant son.

When police tried to get into the couple's apartment, Villegas refused to open the door and police forced their way in. Villegas initially struggled and resisted arrest, but police restrained Villegas and were able to arrest him.

The Child Abuse Unit was notified and investigated the case.

According to the police affidavit, the woman explained the baby was crying, which irritated Villegas. The wife said he picked up the baby and called him "bad names." She told police Villegas banged the baby's head against the wall, held him tight against his abdomen, trying to suffocate the child. The mother said she tried to pull the baby away from Villegas, that he responded by telling her to shut up and that he wanted to "kill everyone in the house."

According to the report, Villegas accused the mother of the baby of not being his because his skin was darker. The woman told police Villegas slapped the baby in the head, held the baby by his shirt and swung him around like a rag doll. She told police Villegas "smacked the victim over and over in the head" and that she saw him hit the child in his stomach with a fist.

The woman was eventually able to get the baby away and into a carseat to try to leave, she told police, but Villegas kicked over the carrier, causing the baby to partially fall out. She told police that Villegas grabbed the infant by one arm and swung him around and again hit him in the face and head.

Medical staff at Dell Children's Medical detailed the baby's injuries as follows:

abrasions around the sides and front of the neck
scratches on the torso and arms
multiple bruises to the back, arms and forehead
swelling in the tissue surrounding the eyes
possible pulmonary contusion, which is bruising to the lungs
Doctors were determining if the child had broken bones at the time the police report was written.

Detectives spoke with Villegas at the Travis County Jail . His version of the incident is that the baby's mother provoked him and pushed him in the chest. He told police she pushed him so hard that she fell backwards onto the bed and bumped the 4-month-old boy's car seat, where he was strapped in. Villegas told police the car seat moved back and forth slightly, but that the child didn't fall out. He told police she left the apartment to call 911.

After police showed Villegas photos of the child's injuries, he added to his explanation that during the argument with his wife, before she fell back onto the bed, she had been carrying the baby and the two of them struggled over the child, though he could not describe why, according to the police report. He also said they both pulled the child back and forth slightly in their hands while the mother kept hold of the child.

Villegas was arrested and charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony, including creating a substantial risk of death for the 4-month-old boy. He was also charged with assault with injury for the assault on the baby's mother.

He is ordered to have no contact with the baby. Bond was set at $150,000.