Dad accused of child abuse in death of 2-year-old son (Glendale, Arizona)

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http://www.yourwestvalley.com/glendale/article_94be6650-5b00-11e4-88d0-1b500685dff2.html

Man accused of child abuse in Glendale tot's death

Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2014 3:06 pm
abc15.com

GLENDALE, Ariz. - A 29-year-old man is accused of child abuse after the death of a 2-year-old boy in Glendale.

The case began in January when Glendale police and fire personnel responded to a call of an unresponsive child at an apartment complex near 51st and Northern avenues.

 The child was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

A doctor who examined the child noted several areas of bruising, according to court documents.

The suspect, who police say is the biological father of the child, was interviewed by police that day and told detectives he was watching the boy and the boy’s sibling when he caught the child urinating on the floor.

He grabbed the boy and carried him to the bathroom where the child slipped from his grasp and fell on top of the bathtub, striking his stomach, the suspect told detectives.

The suspect said he kept checking on the boy and that the boy had eaten and had water.

According to the documents, at around 5:30 p.m. the child told the suspect his stomach hurt.

About half an hour later the boy’s mother arrived home.

She told police the suspect did not tell her what had happened. The suspect said they fed the boy and he vomited.

The child was put to bed around 7:45 p.m. and the suspect claimed he checked on him frequently.

Around 2:30 a.m., the suspect checked the child and found him with his eyes open and not breathing.

The suspect told authorities he started CPR and called 911.

During an autopsy, the medical examiner found the boy had a perforated intestine which would be very painful and cause the child to be very sick. The doctor said the boy also had other injuries, including abrasions a couple of days old to a healing rib fracture up to three months old.

The doctor who examined the boy at the hospital told police the trauma occurred from a punch or kick and not from falling onto the bathtub.

The doctor also said the boy may have survived had he received medical treatment early on.

When the suspect was arrested on Tuesday, October 21, he denied causing injuries to the boy and maintained that the child fell from his hands onto the bathtub.

ABC15 is not identifying the suspect as he has not yet been formally charged.