Read this account carefully, and you'll see that dad TRUMAINE CASTON apparently did more than burn his 6-month-old son with cigarettes. Mom is blamed with failure to protect the baby from this nitwit.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/26392653/detail.html
Father Accused Of Burning Baby With Cigarettes
Trumaine Caston Charged With Injury To Child
POSTED: Thursday, January 6, 2011
UPDATED: 5:41 pm CST January 6, 2011
HOUSTON -- A Houston man went before a judge on Thursday, accused of physically abusing his 6-month-old baby boy.
Trumaine Caston, 24, was charged with injury to a child.
His baby, Trumaine Caston Jr., was treated at Texas Children's Hospital in December 2009, and doctors said they found multiple bruises to his body, multiple cigarette burns to the baby's shoulders, knees and stomach, blunt force trauma to his head and six broken ribs.
Prosecutors said the mother pointed the finger at Caston, saying he played "rough" with the baby.
"The mother stated in the statement that she knew the injuries were there and advised Mr. Caston not to play rough. Caston said he was trying to quote, toughen the child up," said Shreya Gulamali, a Harris County assistant district attorney.
Investigators said the baby, who had been born prematurely, had just been released from the neonatal intensive care unit.
"Mr. Caston would throw the baby in the air and the baby would land in his arms, crying because of the pressure on his chest, which is consistent with the fractured ribs," said Gulamali.
Harris County Child Protective Services placed the baby and two other children in foster care.
Officials said the baby is now 1 1/2 years old and starting to talk.
The mother was charged with injury by omission. A warrant is out for her arrest.
Caston has not posted bond.
He has a criminal history of drug possession dating back to 2007, officials said.