Dad charged with abusing 3-month-old baby (Greenwood, South Carolina)

Yet another young father who couldn't cope with infant care without seriously injuring the baby. And notice that like a lot of these dumb dudes, he called Mom first before calling 911.

This one is identified as DANNY ZACHARY LEDFORD.

http://gwdtoday.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=27&ArticleID=28361

1/27/2014 4:06:00 PM

Teen father charged in infant injury

The 16-year-old father of a 3-month-old baby is facing charges after investigators say the father’s actions caused serious injuries to the baby.

Danny Zackary Ledford, 16, of 11 Hampton Ave., Ware Shoals, is being charged as an adult, investigators said, in connection with an incident in which Ledford’s 3-month-old child sustained significant injuries to the brain and both eyes.

According to a report from the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2013, to 106 Folly Bend Drive, Greenwood, after receiving a call about an unresponsive baby. When deputies arrived, they found the grandmother of the baby in the yard holding the baby and yelling that the baby was not breathing. EMS arrived and began treating the child, who deputies observed gasping for air.

According to the report, Ledford told deputies he had just finished eating when he heard what sounded like the child choking. Ledford told deputies he discovered the child was not breathing and called the child’s mother, who had another child at the doctor. Ledford said he then called 911.

According to the report, deputies were called to the emergency room at Self Regional Medical Center at about 7 p.m. the same night in reference to the baby’s injuries. A doctor told deputies that a CT scan of the baby’s head revealed bleeding inside the baby’s skull. There were no injuries apparent externally on the skull. The doctor told deputies was being airlifted to Greenville Hospital System Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for further testing. Officials at Greenville Hospital Systems NICU told deputies the child had multiple bleeds on the brain and retinal hemorrhages to both eyes. Doctors told deputies the injuries were consistent with a child being shaken “very violently.”

According to the report, investigators and an agent with the State law Enforcement Division again spoke with Ledford on Dec. 20, 2013. Ledford said he fed the baby a bottle then gave her a pacifier. Ledford told deputies he left the baby in the bedroom while he fixed a bowl of cereal before returning to the bedroom. Ledford told deputies he took the bowl into the kitchen when he was finished eating. Ledford said the baby was unresponsive when he returned and he started shaking the baby in order to get her to respond.

Ledford has been charged with abuse or neglect with great bodily injury on a child.