Dad wanted in assault on newborn son (Tacoma, Washington)

Even though the baby was just 7 days old, there is still no mention of the mother at all. It's as if the baby was delivered by stork. 

Why was dad JOSHUA SULLIVAN "caring for" a newborn? It seems highly unlikely that this nitwit was married to the mother or even in a committed relationship. Sounds very much like another custody/visitation fiasco, though, of course, the media very rarely clarifies the circumstances that set up crimes like this.

There is NO evidence that newborns benefit in any way, shape, or form from joint custody schemes. Given that men are far more prone to assaulting infants (e.g. abusive head trauma), babies are generally much safer staying with their mothers. 

http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/tacoma-father-wanted-assault-newborn/nYbSj/

Posted: 2:52 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2013

Tacoma father wanted in assault on newborn

By Kevin McCarty TACOMA, Wash. — An arrest warrant has been issued for an 18-year-old Tacoma father accused of assaulting his seven-day-old son. According to a probable cause affidavit, Joshua Sullivan, 18, was caring for his newborn son in late May and told investigators he became frustrated and admitted shaking the boy.

According to the affidavit the grandparents of the boy noticed the child had a swollen left eye on May 22, and then noticed swelling in his right eye the next day. The infant was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s hospital in Tacoma and doctors there notified Tacoma police. Charges state the injuries observed on the boy by physicians were, “obvious bruising around the mouth, bruising on the left cheekbone, his lip was bleeding, bleeding from the umbilical cord, bruising on the left forearm, bruising on the mid-back, and bruising on the left inner ear.”

Further examinations revealed “subdural hemorrhage and cerebral edema did not occur secondary to medical problems or complications.”

The child survived the injuries but his current condition is not included in available court documents.

Tacoma police detectives interviewed Sullivan said he admitted becoming frustrated with the boy while feeding him around 3 a.m. According to court documents a detectives asked Sullivan, “You think you shook him?" The defendant did not verbally respond but did move his head up and down in a nodding motion.

"How long was he shaken?" the detective asked, to which the defendant responded, "Not long...up and down the stairs."

The affidavit states Sullivan “suggested” the boy hit his head on a wall when he was holding him and that Sullivan was frustrated because the newborn was “fussy.” Sullivan stopped answering questions and asked for an attorney, according to the affidavit. He was not immediately arrested and the investigation continued, resulting in an arrest warrant issued Friday.

Tacoma police spokeswoman Officer Loretta Cool said Sullivan has not yet been arrested and his whereabouts are not known.