Dad charged with felony child abuse; 2-year-old daughter has life-threatening injuries (Spruce Pine, North Carolina)

Is MICHAEL BAXLEY a single and/or custodial father? Notice that there is no mention of a mother in the home or anywhere else.

http://www.wlos.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/mitchell-county-child-abuse-arrest-21460.shtml#.VYCMGtHbLtQ

Mitchell County Child Abuse Arrest

Updated: Thursday, June 11 2015, 01:54 PM EDT

SPRUCE PINE, N.C. -- New developments in the case of a Mitchell County two-year-old who suffered a serious head injury.

The father of the toddler is now facing charges.

The police chief says the two-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries and remains at Mission Hospital.

He says evidence points to the child's father as being the one responsible for his daughter's injuries.

On May 19th emergency responders were called to the Fairground Street Apartments to a report of a child that had fallen and was unresponsive.

When crews arrived, two-year-old Rosanna Baxley was found unresponsive. The girl's father told officers she fell off a bed and hit her head.

Rosanna was transported to Blue Ridge Regional Hospital then flown to Mission Hospital.

This past Tuesday, the girl's father, Michael Baxley, was arrested and charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.

The police chief says evidence shows the injuries Rosanna sustained did not occur from falling off a bed, because of the severity. He also says because her body temperature had dropped below well below what it should be, the incident likely occurred well before the 911 call was made.

While in the hospital, Rosanna has had part of her skull removed.

The chief says she likely has a long road to recovery ahead. Chief Bill Summerlin, Spruce Pine Police Department, "her recovery is going to be critical from here on out and I'm sure that it's going to be a slow, agonizing process for her but she's off the ventilator and we still have hope."

Baxley had his first court appearance Wednesday and remains in jail on a $250,000 bond.

The chief says the father was the only one with Rosanna when crews arrived.