Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Dad charged with felony child abuse for assault on 9-month-old daughter; baby in critical condition (Hillsboro, North Dakota)

Appears to be another case where Mom had to work and support the family, while the clueless father played at caretaking. The result is a baby in critical condition because Daddy was "jumping around" with a 9-month-old infant.

Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER KRAAY.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/crime-and-courts/3653846-mayville-father-charged-child-abuse-after-shaking-9-month-old-daughter

Mayville father charged with child abuse after shaking 9-month-old daughter

By Emily Welker on Jan 12, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

HILLSBORO, N.D. – A Mayville father is charged with felony child abuse after his 9-month-old baby daughter was sent to the hospital in critical condition with bleeding on the brain from what prosecutors say was a violent shaking.

Christopher Kraay was charged Friday in Traill County District Court with one count of child abuse, a Class B felony.

Court documents filed with the charges say Kraay’s daughter was taken by helicopter to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo on Jan. 2 for severe head trauma.

Hospital staff reported that injuries to the child were consistent with child abuse.

The parents gave statements to hospital social workers saying they gave the baby some Tylenol about 11 a.m. for cold-like symptoms, but that the baby rolled her eyes, threw up and had passed out while Kraay was dressing her.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, the baby was limp and unresponsive.

The baby’s mother told investigators with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation that the child seemed fine the night before, and more or less normal when she left for work the previous morning. The next day, however, the baby was crying more than usual as her father changed her.

The mother told investigators she had never known Kraay to physically abuse their daughter, nor had she done so.

Investigators served a search warrant on the couple’s home Jan. 6 while Kraay was there. He refused to open the door for investigators, who used a ramming tool to get it open and detain him.

While being interviewed, Kraay allegedly admitted to investigators he jumped around with the baby the day before she was taken to the hospital, and demonstrated with a doll what he did.

Kraay also allegedly admitted to the BCI agents he violently shook the baby in a rocking motion, saying he got carried away.

No court date in his case has yet been set.