Baby critically injured while in "father's custody;" father charged with assault (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Once again, we have a clueless Druggie Daddy who "allegedly" inflicted life-threatening inuries on a 40-day-old infant. Notice that Daddy does NOT live with the mom, and "court documents" do NOT clarify why the baby was in the father's custody at the time of the assault.

Wonder if this father had court-ordered custody and/or visitation, and whether some freaking judge allowed all this even knowing that Dad TRISTAN MARTEL WALKER ADMITS to drug issues.

For all the Mr. Moms highlighted by the media, there are a lot of macho idiots who are totally useless and dangerous around babies, especially when Mom or Grandma isn't there to supervise. Sorry if that offends some people, but that's reality.

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120807/NEWS/208070333

New Bedford infant in Providence hospital with brain injury; father is charged

By Curt Brown August 07, 2012 12:00 AM

NEW BEDFORD — A 1½-month-old boy is in critical condition at a Providence hospital and the child's father is charged with injuring him, according to police and court documents.

The child is at Hasbro Children's Hospital with a brain injury that is considered life-threatening, according to Detective Captain Steven Vicente, head of the Major Crimes Unit.

The child's father, Tristan Martel Walker, 25, of 361 Coggeshall St., is charged with assault and battery on a child with serious injury, according to police.

Walker is being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Wednesday in New Bedford District Court, according to court documents.

He was arrested and arraigned in District Court Friday before Judge J. Thomas Kirkman.

Vicente said police were called to Walker's apartment about 5:30 a.m. on July 29 in response to a child who wasn't breathing.

The child was 40 days old at the time, police said.

Vicente said the child was transported to Hasbro and tests revealed the baby had suffered a brain injury.

Walker, who does not live with the baby's mother, told police he had a party in his apartment with friends the night before and admitted to smoking marijuana, according to Vicente.

Walker said he was "still feeling high" when the baby cried and woke him up, court records show. The child woke up hungry and the father said he held the baby in his arms and fed him, police said.

Court documents do not make it clear why the baby was in the father's custody at the time of the injury. Some of the documents are sealed.

The boy's father told police he was bouncing the child up and down against his shoulder in an effort to burp him without supporting the child's head, according to Vicente.

According to court documents, Walker demonstrated for police how his arm was near the baby's butt and how he shook him up and down without supporting the neck.

The baby then stopped breathing and Walker called for medical rescue, police said.

Vicente said police charged Walker after conducting a further investigation and receiving additional medical information from the hospital. The detective did not elaborate.