Dad charged with fracturing skull of 2-year-old child, starving animal to death (Jonesville, North Carolina)

Dad is identified as BRADLEY SCOTT KENNEDY.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/28921752/report-father-arrested-after-2-year-olds-skull-fractured-animal-starves-to-death

Report: Father arrested after 2-year-old's skull fractured, animal starves to death

Posted: Apr 28, 2015 4:13 PM EDT Updated: Apr 28, 2015 4:13 PM EDT
By WBTV Web Staff

YADKINVILLE, NC (WBTV) - A Jonesville father was arrested Saturday after deputies say his 2-year-old child showed up at a medical facility with a fractured skull.

Bradley Scott Kennedy, 36, was charged with one count of felony negligent child abuse with serious bodily injury. He was also charged with one felony count of killing an animal by starvation.

On March 7, the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office received a report in reference to possible child abuse. The 2-year-old child was seen at medical facilities where it was determined that the infant had sustained a skull fracture.

Officials say the child with both parents.

During the investigation, detectives said they discovered other pending criminal charges associated with Kennedy.

Officials have not released any details about the animal abuse charge.

After posting a $150,000 bond, Kennedy was released.

His next court date is scheduled for May 19.

Dad had "anger issues" prior to killing of 2-month-old son; had previously abused animals (Indianapolis, Indiana)

He has "anger issue"??? What a useless piece of crap. Kills the baby because he is all pissy that Mom had to work late. Good God....

You know what? Moms with two-month-old babies SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK unless they really want to for some reason. They should be able to take some time off and take care of their babies, and bond with them. And either we need to make paid maternity leave the law of the land and/or force useless crap like this Daddy to quit bitching about how "angry" he is and GET A JOB and support his kids. Guess what? You're a grown up now, @sshole. Act like one.

Is it any surprise that this s***head also tortured cats?

Dad is identified as IAN DEFENDERFER.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/dcs-documents-father-had-anger-issues-prior-to-baby-death

DCS documents: Father had anger issues prior to baby death

By: Kara Kenney

Posted: 12:19 PM, Dec 16, 2014
Updated: 8:53 PM, Dec 16, 2014  

INDIANAPOLIS - Records show a Greenwood father accused of shaking and killing his 2-month-old baby had no prior history with the Indiana Department of Child Services, Call 6 Investigator Kara Kenney.

Following the October death of Roarak Defenderfer, Kenney requested the Greenwood family's file with DCS.

Ian Defenderfer, 20, is charged with aggravated battery and battery resulting in death of a person.

Sarah Naum, the baby's mother, is not facing any charges.

DCS became involved when Roarak was taken to the hospital Oct. 3 with breathing problems.

According to the DCS family case manager interviews with family members of the baby, Ian Defenderfer had a history of anger issues.

DCS interviewed Brett and Susan Naum, the maternal grandparents of Roarak, who said Defenderfer had abused animals including breaking a cat's leg.

"Susan stated she was afraid this was going to happen," read the DCS documents.

"She didn't want Sarah to leave Ian alone with Roark after the cat incident."

Ian Defenderfer's father told DCS their son had temper tantrums as a teenager, but was excited about the baby.

According to court documents, Defenderfer called 911 that day to report Roarak had stopped breathing.

Medics took the infant to an area hospital before he was airlifted to Riley Hospital for Children.

Defenderfer first confessed to his girlfriend that he shook the baby, according to documents.

Authorities said Defenderfer admitted to police he shook the child the following day.

The child died at the hospital Oct. 5 of blunt force trauma to the head, officials said.

Authorities said the child also had signs of shaken baby syndrome. Defenderfer later admitted to police that he was frustrated and annoyed with the child for crying and was not happy the child's mother had to work late.

Defenderfer is expected in court Jan. 22. His defense attorney has not yet returned a call from Kenney.

After shoving mom, dad shoots family dog in front of 11-year-old daughter (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Dad is identified as SIMON MARTINEZ. Men who torture and/or kill pets are at very high risk for doing the same to people.

http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/father-shoots-dog-front-child-during-domestic-figh/ncS4M/

Posted: 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013

Father shoots dog in front of child during domestic fight

By Michael Purdy

Tulsa, Okla. — It's a disturbing story out of Tulsa.

Police say 42-year-old Simon Martinez was arrested Monday evening near 31st and Garnett, after shoving his significant other and shooting a dog right in front of the couple's 11-year-old daughter.

Officers were originally called out to the scene around 8:20 p.m. for a domestic dispute.

Once inside the home, officers immediately spotted the dead dog. Police say the pet died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The unnamed significant other told officers what had happened and Martinez was then taken into custody.

He's currently in the Tulsa County Jail. He faces counts of cruelty to animals and domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor.

Dad fatally shoots 8-year-old daughter, mom; despite extensive history of violence, still had visitation rights with the kids (Louisville, Kentucky)

Mom knew very well how dangerous dad GARY W. STEWART JR. could be. He had threatened to kill her before, he had battered her before. She had even managed to take out of orders of protection against him. I can't even summarize his extensive criminal history here. You can see the highlights below. 

So the guy was EXTREMELY crazy and violent. And contrary to Daddy's nitwit attorney, there were tons of red flags that this guy was a homicidal risk. What else is new. There are lots of abusive nut jobs in this world. Not all of them become killers.

The real problems were two:

1) The criminal justice system never really held the father accountable for anything he did. Most charges were dismissed or treated with a slap on the wrist. Even the ones not involving threats or violence against the mother. Is it any surprise that she stopped showing up in court? The outcome was already clear. I also wonder if the sheriff's office even took his weapons away as ordered. I doubt it. 

The end result of judicial coddling is that abusers grow even more entitled and cocky. They know they can get away with any sh** they do, and all they'll get is a wink. So their violence accelerates over time.

Combine that with a second problem.

2) This sh** still had weekend visitation with the kids!!! Mom was REQUIRED to interact with this dangerous lunatic on a regular basis. He even had "scheduled visits" when the order of protection was in place!

We have seen over and over again what happens when mothers are FORCED to interact with men who have threatened to kill them and have assaulted them before. People are eventually killed. Exactly what we saw here. Contrary to the family friend's denial, this is a VERY TYPICAL setup for a family annihilator. An abuser who gets a wink from law enforcement, where the victims can never truly get away from him  because of the courts insist that a homicidal maniac stay "involved." And not only that, mothers are pressured into "cooperating" and encouraging that involvement. 

And of course, by going off with the crazy daddy for a visit, they inadvertently set themselves up for the slaughter. 

Both judicial indifference to violence against women and children and abuser "rights" to kids are KEY TENETS OF THE FATHERS RIGHTS MOVEMENT. It's their movement that has created a climate where mere abusive crazies are "nurtured" into mass killers. Congratulations, boys. This one is on you. 

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130620/NEWS01/306200023/Louisville-man-who-fatally-shot-mother-daughter-had-violent-history

Louisville man who fatally shot mother and daughter had violent history

Jun. 20, 2013 9:48 PM

Written by Antoinette Konz, Andrew Wolfson and Mark Boxley
The Courier-Journal

A Louisville man who fatally shot his ex-girlfriend and their 8-year-old daughter before killing himself had a history of violence against women and had been “in and out of mental institutions,” according to court documents and the victims’ family.

Shortly after noon Wednesday, Gary W. Stewart Jr., 40, of the 2600 block of Delor Avenue, showed up with his mother at the home that his 36-year-old ex-girlfriend, Jillian Wood, shared with her twin sister, Jocelyn Wood, off Bardstown Road, saying he wanted to take his daughter and son swimming at his uncle’s condominium.

Jocelyn Wood said her sister and Stewart had a turbulent past, including protective orders Jillian had taken out against him, but the two recently had tried to work together in parenting their two children — 8-year-old Shelbi and 13-year-old Gary Jr.

“Jillian went with (them) because she wanted to make sure the kids would be OK,” Jocelyn Wood said in an interview Thursday. “She whispered to me on the way out to call her in a few hours because she would likely need a ride back home. I tried calling her several times ... but she never picked up.” 

Louisville Metro Police Lt. Todd Kessinger said that at approximately 4:22 p.m. Wednesday, in his uncle’s condominium complex on Gardiner Lane, Gary Stewart shot Jillian Wood with a gun he had brought with him, then shot his daughter, before shooting his mother when she tried to stop him. He then fatally shot himself.

 “(The coroner) said (Jillian) didn’t have time to fight because he shot her three times in the chest, and then he went to my niece and he shot her in the head,” Elizabeth Wood, a sister of Jillian and Jocelyn Wood, said in an interview. “And then he shot his mom. Little Gary got away, and I thank God that he got away.”

Elizabeth Wood said that 13-year-old Gary told family members after that his father asked the children if they wanted to “die fast or die slow” and the boy said Shelbi responded, “she wanted to die fast.” 

Stewart’s mother, whose name has not been released, remained in critical condition at University of Louisville Hospital Thursday evening.

Stewart’s uncle and son, Gary Jr., were also in the second-floor condominium but escaped, said Kessinger, who said the shootings appeared to be “premeditated.”

“We don't know exactly what made the situation erupt,” Kessinger said.

Wood said Stewart was “very unstable” and has been “in and out of mental institutions.”

“I think when he came over yesterday afternoon, he had the intent of killing them all,” said Elizabeth Wood, fighting back tears.

Elizabeth Wood said the boy, who is in the temporary custody of Jocelyn Wood, saw his mother shot before escaping to the pool area, where he frantically asked someone to call police. She said the teen told them that his parents had been arguing over Gary Stewart’s visits to his children.

“The kids didn’t want to go over and see him as often because they started seeing how he really was,” she said.

Jocelyn Wood said she and her twin sister were “very close.”

“We always said it was us against the world,” Jocelyn Wood said, tears flowing down her face. “She was everything to me. And her kids are like my kids, we were always doing things together. We were one big family.”

History of violence

Gary W. Stewart Jr., 40, had a history of violence against women, including against Jillian Wood.

 “I am terrified he will seriously kill me to get me out of the way,” she said in a petition for a protective order in 2010.

In that case, Wood said in a criminal complaint that Stewart threatened to shoot her, and in another case the next year, Stewart assaulted another woman — a stranger — for no apparent reason in the emergency room waiting area at University of Louisville Hospital.

In the first case, Wood alleged that after she refused to tell Stewart where she was living, he threatened to find her and “put a bullet in your head and leave you in a ditch where nobody will find you.”

Wood said she had picked up her children at basketball practice, where Stewart was an assistant coach, said she drove away with her sister Jocelyn and the two children in her car and that Stewart “followed her every move” for 35 minutes until she managed to elude him. 

He was charged with terroristic threatening, menacing and stalking, but the charges were dismissed when Wood failed to appear twice in court.

Stewart’s lawyer in the case, Steve Schroering, said his client’s conduct in court raised no red flags. 

“There was nothing that suggested that anything like this would happen,” Schroering said. “He was always pleasant and respectful to me.”

Jillian Wood took out a domestic-violence order against him in February 2010, making the same allegations as in the criminal case. She also charged that he had put a gun to her head and cocked it in 2001.

 The order, which expired Feb. 2, 2013, required him to stay away from her and the children, except on scheduled visits at a fast-food restaurant, and to not possess a firearm.

Jillian Wood said in the order that Stewart was angry because he was at risk of going to jail for failing to pay child support, and that two months earlier he had asked a family member to kill her.

She said Stewart treated their daughter “like a princess” and their son “like he is in the army.” She also said he also had killed animals and told the children about it.

Jefferson District Judge Angela Bisig ordered the sheriff’s office to store and retain Stewart’s firearms while the protective order was in effect.

Assaulting a stranger

In the emergency room case, Stewart was convicted of assaulting a 19-year-old woman, Nikkole L. Morris, in September 2011 in the hospital waiting room.

A warrant said Stewart stood up and started striking Morris in the face, then began fighting with security officers who came to her aid. She was treated for swelling to her face and a black eye, and he was placed in the hospital’s psychiatric ward.

He later was evaluated for mental competency at Central State Hospital, but both sides agreed he was competent and he pleaded guilty.

Attorney Stephen Berry, who defended him in that case, said Stewart “went crazy” in the hospital and had no recollection of what he had done. Berry said that Stewart was a nice man “when he was on his meds.”

Judge Donald Armstrong sentenced Stewart to 365 days in jail. He was given credit for 33 days he had spent in jail and placed on home incarceration for 60 days.

The balance of the sentence was conditionally discharged for two years. Armstrong also ordered him to undergo treatment at Seven Counties.

Stewart had other charges for drunk driving, moving violations and fleeing from police. Most were dismissed.

In a series of Facebook posts in December on a page that a friend confirmed was his, Stewart expressed concerns about children, including his own, and violence.

In one, he wrote, “Enjoy today and hav (sic) love for children they are our future and we let them play killing games and toy guns as adults the whole nations (sic) is retard.

In another he said, “My own daughter was stalked by a known child sex abuser and by a vision from god I was able to stop it and save my child.”

Hard times

Sue Strothman, Gary Stewart’s neighbor of Stewart's on Delor Avenue, said she has known the family for about three years.

She said Stewart was living with his mother and his two children would visit on the weekends. 

Strothman said she thought of Gary Stewart as a father who cared about his children, but he was unemployed and experiencing other problems, including the recent death of his sister from cancer, and his mother told her that she wanted him to find another place to live.

“I never dreamed Gary was that sick to do something like that,” Strothman said. “I don’t know why people who are that sick kill not only themselves, but their children.”

She worried about the affect of the deaths on his 13-year-old son.

“Little Gary lost his dad, sister and mother,” Strothman said. “He’ll need a lot of counseling, but I don’t know if he will ever get over it.”

 'Daddy's girl'

Jocelyn Wood said Shelbi had just finished third grade at Price Elementary School and was looking forward to celebrating her ninth birthday on July 18. Both Jocelyn and Elizabeth Wood described Shelbi as a “daddy’s girl.”

“She was a typical little girl who loved getting her nails done and her hair done — she couldn’t wait to be a teenager,” Jocelyn Wood said. “And she always had a smile on her face, every picture you see of her, she’s smiling.”

And Shelbi loved her big brother.

“They were very, very close,” Elizabth Wood said, pausing. “Little Gary is really having a terrible time, thinking about what he could have done differently to save his sister ... we’re going to have to get him a lot of counseling. There are a lot of things we’re going to have to do now that I never thought we would have to do.”

In addition to her son, Jillian Wood is also survived by her mother, Jacqueline Wood of Lake City, Fla., six sisters and three brothers.

Elizabeth Wood said she and her siblings always joked about the “nine of us being a baseball team.”

“Now we are a player short,” she said.

Jillian Wood did not have life insurance and the family doesn’t know how they are going to bury their loved ones.

“I live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have the money to bury them,” Jocelyn Wood said. “The county said they could bury them, but that they wouldn’t be able to be buried together and the thought of that just tears me apart.”

 Reporter Zahra Farah contributed to this report.

Dad, gal pal arraigned on child neglect, mistreatment charges (Portland, Oregon)

This article is silent on the major issue here. Where is this boy's mother? Is BRIAN L. PARMENTIER a custodial father? Or did all this happen during the meth-head daddy's visitation? No answer.

How did this boy end up with these losers? What officials, if any, were involved in making that decision? Will they be held accountable for their decisions? No answer.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/04/portland_father_girlfriend_acc.html

Portland father, girlfriend accused of child neglect, mistreatment

By Maxine Bernstein, The Oregonian
on April 25, 2013 at 4:07 PM, updated April 25, 2013 at 5:10 PM

A Portland father and his girlfriend face child neglect and criminal mistreatment allegations, accused of leaving the dad's 10-year-old son home alone "in deplorable conditions" in a Southeast Portland apartment for a night.

Brian L. Parmentier , 40 and Sarah Call, 32, were arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court Thursday.

They each face allegations of first-degree child neglect, two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and second-degree animal neglect.

According to Portland police, Officer Robert Slyter responded Wednesday to a report of a child left unattended at an apartment in the 12500 block of Southeast Powell Boulevard.

The 10-year-old boy invited the officer in when Slyter showed up at the apartment. "Officer Slyter immediately could see that the home was in deplorable conditions with garbage, food and dog feces all over the floor,'' deputy district attorney Susan Howard wrote in a probable cause affidavit filed in court Thursday.

There was no running water, flies everywhere and no phone available in the residence, the affidavit said.

Officer Judy McFarlane, who was also on scene, wrote in her police report that "these were the worst conditions she has seen'' in her 40 years as an officer, Howard wrote in the affidavit.

McFarlane called animal control officers since there were three dogs, a cat and three kittens without food or water inside the apartment.

The 10-year-old boy also hadn't eaten that day, police said. Parmentier told police he thought his son was old enough to stay home by himself.

Call explained why they weren't home: They'd been arrested and accused of possessing methamphetamine and spent the night in jail.

Registered sex offender dad gets custody of two girls, then arrested for child endangerment (Seabrook, Texas)

I've been posting these cases for years now, and still, this one made my jaw drop open.

Who the hell awarded a father who was a REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER custody of two little girls? Especially one with a long (unspecified) rap sheet?

Are we surprised that said girls were found surrounded by filth and animal waste and hadn't been fed in days? And I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg for what these girls have endured.

What freaking judicial genius gave JOE BOB KNOW custody? Let's see names!

Still think poor daddies are discriminated against, hmm?

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Seabrook-PD--2-hungry-little-girls-found-living-in-filthy-home-with-animal-feces-urine-177275891.html

Seabrook dad charged after girls found hungry, surrounded by animal waste

by KHOU.com staff khou.com

Posted on November 5, 2012 at 11:09 AM Updated today at 3:35 PM

SEABROOK, Texas—Two little girls found living in a filthy home full of animal waste had not been fed for days, according to Seabrook police.

Their father, 58-year-old Joe Bob Knox, is charged with endangering a child.

Police said the 2 and 4-year-old girls were surrounded by animal feces and urine, and had not eaten for at least two days.

His attorney said he'd recently lost his job and was doing the best he could under the circumstances.

Knox’s bail was set at $15,000. Knox has a long rap sheet dating back to the 70s and he is a registered sex offender.

His attorney said he was awarded custody of the children when he and their mother split up.

Police: Cat strangling dad broke infant daughter's skull (Auburn, Washington)

Animal abuse often goes hand in hand with child abuse.

Dad is identified as ROBERT STEPHEN MEADOR.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Police-Cat-strangling-father-broke-infant-3997994.php

Police: Cat strangling father broke infant daughter's skull

BY LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Published 8:22 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2012

An Auburn father accused of breaking his 2 ½-month-old daughter’s skull is behind bars and facing a child abuse charge.

King County prosecutors contend Robert Stephen Meador choked and threw the infant girl on Oct. 19 after the girl began crying. Prosecutors note the girl nearly died in the attack – she was resuscitated by her step-grandfather after sustaining a fractured skull, a bleeding brain and injuries to her body. 

Meador, a 34-year-old now believed to be homeless, was convicted in his teens of strangling a housecat, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Cecelia Gregson told the court. Gregson suggested Meador is a threat to people and animals if he is released from jail, where he remains on $250,000 bail.

In charging documents, a King County Sheriff’s Office detective contended Meador was watching his daughter when she began to cry.

Meador picked up the girl by her throat and shook her violently before slamming her into a plastic basinet, Detective Michael Gordon told the court. The girl stopped breathing after the attack, Gordon continued, prompting Meador to attempt to resuscitate her before rushing to his daughter’s step-grandfather for help.

The girl’s step-grandfather resuscitated her before an ambulance arrived. The girl was ultimately taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, where staff opined the girl’s injuries were not accidental.

Having offered several explanations for his daughter’s injuries, Meador ultimately admitted to attacking the infant, Gordon said. He also recreated the attack on video.

“Despite the violence he unleashed on the doll used to represent (his daughter,) he did not show emotion, nor did he say anything to suggest he had any feelings of regret for what he had done,” Gordon told the court.

Gordon noted Meador told his daughter’s mother to keep her parents away from their child following the attack. The detective described Meador’s demand as “remarkable” given that the girl’s step-grandfather likely saved her life.

While Meador's criminal history is limited to one conviction for animal cruelty, Gregson noted facts of that assault are concerning.

 In 1996, Meador choked a house cat until it bled from the nose and mouth on two occasions. It died during the second attack due to a broken neck.

“The defendant poses a grave danger to the safety and well-being of vulnerable humans and animals,” Gregson told the court.

Meador has been charged with one count of first-degree assault of a child. He faces eight to 10 years in prison if convicted as charged.

Dad charged with child abuse after puppy pees on floor (Louisville, Kentucky)

No mention of a mother in this home. Was there one?

Dad is identified as STANLEY R. TAYLOR.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20121017/NEWS01/310170074/Father-charged-child-abuse-after-puppy-pees-floor?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

Father charged with child abuse after puppy pees on floor

11:20 AM, Oct 17, 2012

Written by The Courier-Journal

A Louisville father was arrested on a child-abuse charge in an incident that police said started when a puppy peed on the floor.

Stanley R. Taylor, 31, of the 2600 block of Alford Avenue, was arrested Tuesday for first-degree child abuse, a Louisville Metro Police report said.

Taylor became angry when the family puppy urinated on the floor and “bopped” his 8- and 10-year-old children on the head, a Jefferson County arrest warrant said.

Taylor’s 10-year-old son was taking the dog outside when Taylor kicked him, making the boy fall with the dog, the warrant said.

Taylor is also accused of pinching the boy’s nose and covering his mouth so he couldn’t breathe. He allegedly punched the boy in the head and threw him into his bedroom, saying he would not be going to school, the warrant said.

Taylor changed his mind, though, and when the boy arrived at school he had a large knot on his head, the warrant said. School personnel became alarmed when the boy walked into a wall and told them he wasn’t feeling well because of the assaults, the warrant said.

The school, which was not named in the warrant, called police and Child Protective Services.

Taylor was arrested Tuesday at about 10:15 a.m. at the intersection of North 25th and Columbia streets.

Dad accused of attacking two kids after argument with mom (Phoenix, Arizona)

Dad is identified as VISANO NELSON.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/north_phoenix/phoenix-father-accused-of-attacking-children-3-pets

Phoenix father accused of attacking children, 3 pets

Posted: 04/27/2012
Last Updated: 17 hours and 56 minutes ago

PHOENIX - A Phoenix father is accused of attacking his two children and abusing three family pets after getting into an argument with his girlfriend.

Police arrested Visano Nelson on Thursday at his apartment near 7th Street and Bell Road.

According to police, Nelson got upset when his girlfriend, Brandi Lane, did not return home Thursday night.

He went into the bedroom of Lane’s son and woke up him and told him to call his mother. When the 16-year-old son took too long, police said Nelson punched the teenager in the face.

Nelson then told the boy and his 11-year-old sister to get out of the apartment. While they were leaving, police said Nelson head-butted the girl on her way out of the apartment.

Nelson is then accused of continuing his violent rampage by throwing a cage down a flight of stairs with three cats inside.

On Friday, Lane told ABC15 the children and pets were not seriously hurt during the attack.

Lane said Nelson had been drinking and she thinks that may have been why he acted violently.
Nelson faces assault and animal cruelty charges.

Divorced dad leaves 2 young sons at home with dangerous animals (Suffolk, Virginia)

Notice that dad EMMANUEL VALAZQUEZ had child custody and/or visitation rights with his 5- and 7-year-old sons--the ones he left at home alone with two pitbulls, a python, and lots of other creatures.

At least they reported that this guy was divorced, and that there was no mother in the home. The vast majority of the time, how or why the abused and/or neglected children ended up in Daddy's care is left a mystery, as Mom's existence is typically erased from the story.

Hat tip to G.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43757596/ns/local_news-portsmouth_va/?gt1=43001

Child found home alone with 19 snakes
Charges against dad include contributing to delinquency of a minor
WAVY-TV WAVY-TV
updated 7/14/2011 1:37:16 PM ET 2011-07-14T17:37:16

SUFFOLK, Va. — A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged after allegedly leaving his child home alone with nearly two dozen dangerous animals in Suffolk.

Emmanuel Valazquez was charged with cruelty and injuries to children, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Suffolk police spokesperson Debbie George.

Valazquez's 7-year-old son called police to let them know that his dog was missing.

Police came to the house and found that the child was home alone with 19 snakes, one of which was a 14-foot Python, two bearded dragons, and two pit bulls. There were also feeder mice found in the home.

Police asked where the mother was in all of this, and he said they were divorced. Police said it is legal for the homeowner to have these animals.

George said days before the incident, the 7-year-old's younger brother, a 5-year-old, was found walking on Godwin Boulevard by a passerby.

Valazquez told police that the child had left the house while he was sleeping.

Dad indicted on felonious assault charges; baby "fighting for his life" (Reading, Ohio)

His infant son was only 6-weeks-old when dad NICHOLAS ROBERTS "allegedly" assaulted him. This is the second time abuse allegations have been leveled at "this family," as the todder also showed signs of abuse as an infant. But notice that it was only Daddy who had to go through all the family service requirements (e.g. useless parenting and anger management classes). In fact, there is NO MENTION of a mother in this home, even though the victim was basically a newborn. This sure sounds like a stay-at-home dad (paramedics arrived in the afternoon). Does Mom work to support his violent @$$? Or is this creep custodial? Why doesn't the media tell us how this toddler and this baby ended up in Daddy's "care"?

Notice the two-year-old's testimony regarding Daddy's animal abuse. That's one scary red flag right there.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110620/NEWS010702/106210315/Injured-infant-s-father-indicted?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Injured infant's father indicted
8:12 PM, Jun. 20, 2011
Written by Eileen Kelley

READING - An 8-week-old child is fighting for his life and his father is behind bars after a Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted the father on a felonious assault charge for allegedly fracturing his child's skull.

Devin McRoberts was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center on June 10 with the fractured skull and other head injuries, court records state. At the time, the infant was 6 weeks old.

When paramedics arrived at the Aljoy Court apartment in Reading in the afternoon of June 10, Nicholas McRoberts, now 27 was trying to revive his unresponsive child. Police records state that paramedics took over and were able to revive the infant with CPR.

McRoberts told emergency workers that Devon's older brother who is 2½ claimed to his father that he chocked his little brother, "(just) like he did the kitten last week." McRoberts went on to tell police that the boys were in another room and Devon who was in a swing suddenly stopped crying.

Police didn't buy the story.

"It was determined that the injuries sustained by the 6-week old child were not consistent with the manner or mechanism as was described to responding police and fire personnel," Reading police wrote on the arrest report.

On Monday, McRoberts was charged with felonious assault and child endangering. Bond has been set at $50,000.

Caseworkers from Hamilton County Job and Family Services opened an abuse case on the matter after Devon was hospitalized. This is the second time that an abuse case has been opened with this family.

The 2 ½ -year-old boy was the subject of an abuse case within months of his birth in August 2008. That case was opened for a year and closed in November 2009 after McRoberts completed all requirements of the agency, said Brian Gregg, a spokesman for the agency. Gregg would not say what those requirements were, but generally with abuse cases, the accused is required to take anger management and parenting classes.

Details of that case were not revealed Monday.

Mom ordered to return girls to violent father who tortures, kills animals (United Kingdom)

I see no evidence offered here that this mother was "mentally ill." Only that she sought to protect her children from their violent father. I suspect, therefore, that this is a crap accusation, used to deflect attention from what is really going on here.

By contrast, notice that evidence does document that the UNNAMED DAD is violent; he ADMITS that he killed animals and apparently tortured some others. So it appears that the mother's assertion, that dad is on "always on the verge of extreme violence" is substantially true. But it doesn't matter. In an age where fathers rights are now supreme--and the rights of mothers and children are being hacked to nothing--the mother is being ordered to return the children to Norway because it would be in their "best interest" to be subjected to the authority of a father who tortures and kills animals. Never mind what this behavior says about his potential (or actual) around human beings. More evidence that the Hague Convention has been totally subverted into a tool to help support criminal fathers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002079/Mentally-ill-mother-return-daughters-violent-father.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Mentally ill mother ordered to return two daughters to father who is 'always on verge of extreme violence'

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:56 PM on 10th June 2011

The woman accepted at the Supreme Court that she had wrongly brought the girls from their Norwegian home.

A mentally ill British woman must return her four-year-old and seven-year-old daughters to Norway so they can be near their 'angry' Norwegian father, the UK's highest court ruled today.

The woman accepted that she had wrongfully brought the girls from their Norwegian home to England last year, said the Supreme Court, sitting in London.

But she alleged that their father was 'always on the verge of extreme violence' and had killed the family cat and a pet rabbit, and sprayed budgies with bleach.

She argued that there was a 'grave risk' of the children - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - being placed in an intolerable situation if returned.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices said the father denied the allegations, although he accepted that he could get angry and had killed the cat and the rabbit.

Judges said international law required children wrongly removed from their country of habitual residence to be returned unless there were exceptional circumstances.

And the panel concluded that returning to Norway would be in the children's best interests.

Dad charged with killing pet rabbits (Winter Haven, Florida)

REGINALD OWEN SEAR JR.: Just another one of your garden-variety psycho daddies.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/25/2235019/man-charged-with-killing-pet-rabbits.html

Posted on Wednesday, 05.25.11

Man charged with killing pet rabbits
http://www.theledger.com
The Associated Press

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- A central Florida man faces animal cruelty and child abuse charges after authorities say he killed three baby rabbits.

Winter Haven police say 34-year-old Reginald Owen Sear Jr. got into an argument with his wife Tuesday over who was supposed to feed the family's pet rabbits. Police say Sear took the animals' cardboard box into the bathroom and killed the baby bunnies by twisting them.

The couple's two young children didn't see the animals being killed, but authorities say they saw blood on their father's face when he left the bathroom. Police say it was so traumatic for the children that Sear was charged with two counts of child abuse, in addition to three counts of animal cruelty.

Sear was being held without bail. Jail records didn't say if he had an attorney.

Wife fearful of "primary caretaker" dad who battered her, infant son (Jacksonville, North Carolina)

Notice that dad BRANDON TODD GRAVITT was a "primary caretaker" at the time that his infant son was battered. And that his wife's wishes in this matter were probably not much respected, given that he battered her as well. The idea that mothers and fathers are the same in every way has been totally oversold. These "Mr. Mom" types are often not the gentle, nurturing creatures we've been told they are. In many cases, these guys end up at home by default, because Mom's short maternity leave (IF she had one) is done, and she must return to work. In many other cases, the dads were unemployed (or unemployable) from the beginning. These deadbeat dads are often short-tempered men who can't keep a job, and can't handle the demands of infant care either. And we are seeing the carnage from that again and again.

Notice that the father also engaged in animal abuse. A very common phenomenon.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/-90419--.html

Wife fearful of husband who abused infant sonApril 24, 2011 3:14 AM
LINDELL KAY and MIKE MCHUGH

An estranged wife said she is terrified of her husband who recently pleaded no contest to a charge of abusing their infant son and is accused of killing the family dog.

Leslie Gravitt told The Daily News the day after her husband, Brandon Todd Gravitt, was sentenced earlier this month to two to three years in prison that she was convinced her husband would find her and kill her when he was released.

Brandon Gravitt, 23, was originally charged by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office with child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault on a child under 12.

His son, Lucian David Gravitt, suffered a left rib fracture, right-clavicle fracture, radial fracture and major cranial trauma, according to arrest warrants.

The Gravitts’ marriage began to fracture in the ensuing weeks after Lucian incurred his injuries. On March 4, 2010, Leslie Gravitt, claiming physical abuse, filed a request for a domestic violence protective order against her husband who at the time was in the Onslow County Jail.

“He has been physically abusing me for two years,” Leslie Gravitt, 23, wrote in the complaint. “He threatened, well not threatened, promised to kill me. His bond got lowered yesterday and if he gets out he will kill me. He killed my dog.”

The complaint states Leslie Gravitt was assaulted three times after her son’s injuries and multiple times prior to that.

Brandon Gravitt told detectives after his son’s injuries were discovered by doctors at Naval Hospital on Feb. 5, 2010, that he was a restless sleeper and may have backhanded Lucian while sleeping in the bed with him, Senior Assistant District Attorney J.B. Askins told the court.

Lucian was flown to Chapel Hill in critical condition.

Brandon and Leslie married Jan. 10, 2008. Nine months later, Leslie gave birth to their first child, Gianna. Lucian, was born Dec. 16, 2009.

At the time of incident, Leslie Gravitt was a lance corporal stationed at Camp Lejeune, and had just returned to her job after her prescribed maternity leave. She left the Marine Corps on Oct. 16.

Brandon Gravitt is an honorably discharged Marine who served in Iraq and had been his daughter’s primary caregiver for 14 months prior to the February 2010 incident with his son. He was caring for the couple’s two children in their Murrill Hill Road home at the time Lucian was injured, said Brandon Gravitt’s attorney, Swansboro lawyer Kenneth Glover.

Everyone was a victim in the tragic case, Glover said.

Leslie Gravitt said her son is now 17 months old but performs at the level of a 3-month-old. Lucian is being seen by six therapists each week and has yet to speak, sit up by himself or play with toys. Despite these setbacks she said he “has the greatest smile in the world.”

When Henry sentenced Brandon Gravitt to the two to three years, he also ordered him to seek psychiatric counseling, pay $1,522 to the Victim’s Relief Fund and have no contact with his wife or children. Brandon Gravitt will receive credit for the 416 days he has spent in pre-trial confinement.

Dad "fighting to keep shared custody" pleads no contest to setting dog on fire in front of kids (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Notice how this case is treated as not much more than a lark, as a light-hearted human interest piece. Daddy JOHN W. FLEET III has the "ultimate stressful day?" What crap.

What we have here is an alcoholic abuser who managed to get shared custody of his two kids despite his personal shortcomings. (Anybody want to identify the judge?) It's quite clear to me that the mother had serious concerns about this arrangement, as she was trying to protect these kids from further contact with their drunken, erratic father who keeps a pit bull (statistically the most dangerous dog around children). So much for daddies being discriminated against.

So when the dog bites one of this kids, Daddy sets the dog on fire IN FRONT OF THE KIDS.

I'm not a big fan of pit bulls, but this is unbelievably disgusting. And the children were exposed to this unbelievable act of cruelty and trauma as well. Makes you wonder what other abusive acts Daddy has pulled with these kids that are not reported here.

Finally, Mom has the kids back in her sole care. But why does it always require a crisis for moms to take care of their own kids? We're lucky Daddy didn't decide to take out his "ultimate stressful day" on one of the kids.

By the way, had a mother pulled this stunt, nobody would be making light of it as the "ultimate stressful day." She would have quickly been labeled a mentally deranged nut.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-03-12/news/28683949_1_fleet-first-dog-bit-animal-cruelty

Father sent to jail for setting dog afire in front of children
March 12, 2011By Joseph A. Slobodzian, Inquirer Staff Writer

Jan. 28, 2010, was the ultimate stressful day for John W. Fleet III.

He was working full-time, his marriage was over, he was fighting to keep shared custody of his two children - and he was drinking too much.

Then the dog bit at his 11-year-old son.

"I took it out on the dog," Fleet, 34, told a Philadelphia judge Friday, an understatement considering that he set the five-month-old pit-bull mix on fire in front of his children.

Fleet pleaded no contest to animal cruelty, child endangerment, and corrupting a minor, and learned that he had accomplished just what he had been fighting to avoid: He lost his children.

"Missed opportunities" with murdered 5-year-old girl; dad, girlfriend charged with homicide (Shreveport, Louisiana)

We've reported on this case before, but this article by Alison Bath adds a lot more detail.

As you can see, the murder of this little girl--"allegedly" at the hands of her father WESLEY LOWE and the new step--follows a familiar pattern. Lots of authorities who failed to do their job and essentially set up this crime. People who now refuse to take any responsibilities for their actions. Unfortunately, this is not a unique incident. Fathers of history of violence are often skilled manipulators when it comes to getting and retaining child custody, and smearing/discrediting the protective mother. And too often, these cases end as this one did: with the death of an innocent child.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20110206/NEWS01/102060347/Missed-opportunities

Missed opportunities
Death of 5-year-old Anna Celeste Lowe brings more questions than answers
By Alison Bath • alisonbath1@gannett.com • February 6, 2011

The name on her birth certificate was Anna Celeste Lowe.

But the people who knew and loved the 5-year-old, who was one-part tomboy, one-part girlie-girl and 100 percent precocious, called her by her middle name. She was Celeste.

She loved Barbie dolls, mermaids and fairies. She liked to play in the dirt and explore the world around her. She was the center of attention in her family — doted on by her mother, half-sister and half-brother, and grandparents.

"She was an extremely happy child," said Jamie Mercer, Celeste's mother.

Most people know the ending of Celeste's story. Her father and step-mother — Wesley and Catherine Lowe — brought her to a Shreveport hospital Jan. 13 claiming she was suffering from a stomach virus.

But Celeste already had been dead for some two hours and her body showed signs of a different story. Among the injuries an autopsy would reveal: Celeste's stomach had been ripped away from her intestines.

Caregivers accused

The Lowes remain jailed in Bossier Parish. Wesley Lowe, 32, is charged with negligent homicide, and Catherine Murray Lowe, 34, who investigators contend intentionally hurt Celeste, is charged with first-degree murder. A grand jury will consider in March whether Catherine Murray Lowe should face the death penalty.

"I hope she rots," said Mercer, who also wonders why Wesley Lowe let Celeste be abused and wants him to face more serious charges. "I wish he could be held just as responsible as she is."
Yet, Celeste's story is more than another tale of child abuse. It's the story of a little girl caught in a custody battle. It's the story of an accused mother desperately trying to get her daughter back. And, it's the story of how "the system" appears to have been manipulated to gain the upper hand.

But most of all it's a story of missed opportunities. At most every turn, it seems, the people who Celeste counted on most appeared to have failed her.

"The whole system broke down in this particular case," said Eydie Comeaux, a Shreveport child abuse awareness advocate. "Nothing worked for this child."

But others say pointing fingers is useless and unfair — social workers, teachers, judges, police and others followed the law. Blame for Celeste's death should rest squarely on the shoulders of the people who hurt her.

"Why do we have to look past where the blame actually lies?" Caddo Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland asked.

A routine visit

On Sept. 24, Celeste went for a weekend visit to see her father. Wesley Lowe's then-girlfriend — Catherine "Cat" Murray — met Celeste and her mother at an Arcadia truck stop for the Friday evening exchange.

Mercer and Celeste lived in West Monroe. Lowe and Murray lived with her two children in Elm Grove.

Mercer and Lowe were together until Celeste was born.

"She was a beautiful baby," Mercer said. "She always was a beautiful child."

Mercer said Lowe was in and out of Celeste's life, sporadically exercising his visitation rights. In fact, Mercer was unaware that in 2008 Lowe was living in North Platte, Neb. A Dec. 26, 2008, North Platte police report shows Lowe was arrested and charged with domestic assault involving his then-girlfriend, Pam Murrill. Police say the couple had a fight that turned physical. Lowe was accused of pushing Murrill into a wall and then taking her to the ground by the throat. He later pleaded guilty and was fined $300 plus court costs, Lincoln County Clerk of Court records show.

By the summer of 2009, Lowe and Murrill had parted. He was back in Louisiana and dating Murray. Celeste was regularly visiting with him every other weekend and on holidays.

"It was like this girl came into his life and completely took over," Mercer said, referring to Murray.

A surprise call

On the Friday night Celeste went to visit her father, Mercer received a phone call from Lowe demanding to know about a bruise on Celeste's head. The question surprised Mercer, who said Celeste did not have the injury when she and Murray met to exchange the child.

She didn't hear anything more from Lowe until that Sunday, when she called him to confirm the time she would pick up Celeste.

He said: 'I'm not bringing her back. You need to go to the house and get the card off your door," Mercer said.

After several phone calls, Mercer talked with the Louisiana Department of Social Services worker who left the card. The woman told Mercer that she and a platonic male friend with whom she was living were accused of sexually abusing Celeste. The allegations, which Mercer characterized as "completely and literally absurd," hit hard.

"I couldn't believe (it) in a million years," Mercer said.

Social Services spokesman Trey Williams would not comment about the investigation involving Mercer or say if the department had completed background checks on Lowe or Murray before placing Celeste in their care.

"This case does involve a criminal investigation by law enforcement and we are cooperating in that investigation as well as conducting our own investigation," said Williams.

However, a Ouachita sheriff's report reveals that at some point over that September weekend, Lowe took Celeste to a Shreveport pediatric clinic where she told staff members the bump on her head was caused by her mother hitting her. It was during that medical visit Celeste also told workers of behavior by her mother and the friend that indicated possible sexual abuse. The clinic called a Monroe-based child welfare specialist who notified the Ouachita Parish sheriff's office.

On Sept. 28, Celeste was examined at the Center for Children and Families in Monroe. In addition to again disclosing possible sexual abuse, Celeste also said "she doesn't like staying with her mom and enjoys staying with dad and Cat," the report states.

Mercer suspects Lowe and Murray coerced Celeste into telling authorities she was being physically and sexually abused.

"They had enough time to coach her — to convince her," Mercer said.

Warning signs

Catherine L. Lorich Anderson Murray was married at least twice before she started a relationship with Lowe. In 2001, she divorced her first husband Rory W. Anderson and gained sole custody of the couple's two children. She would later petition to strip Anderson of his visitation rights. Her request was granted in September, according to Bossier Parish District Court records.

In 2002, she married Daniel James Murray, but the couple parted in November 2003. Catherine Murray eventually sought a divorce in February 2010.

In June 2009, she was accused of three counts of cruelty to animals. Bossier Parish sheriff's deputies say Murray left three pit bull dogs at an abandoned Benton home leaving them without food or water for days. She pleaded guilty to one count of animals at large.

Mercer, who was unaware of Murray's background, says the relationship between the three adults was friendly.

"The best thing for her was to be with her mother and have a relationship with her father," Mercer said of her reasoning in letting Celeste spend more time with her dad.

But already there were signs something might be wrong. In early 2010, Celeste's pre-school teacher asked Mercer if everything was OK at home. The then-4-year-old wasn't herself and had acted up in class, the teacher told Mercer.

In May, Murray suggested Celeste spend the summer in Bossier Parish so her father could get to know her better. Mercer would see her every other weekend.

During that time, Mercer noticed a burn on Celeste's forearm. When she asked about it, Celeste and Murray told her the same story — the burn happened when Celeste brushed up against a flat iron in the bathroom while brushing her teeth.

In August, Celeste had bruises on her collar bone and around her neck. Again, the injuries were explained — this time caused by another child who was pushing Celeste on a swing.

When Celeste came back home to live in West Monroe that month, she wasn't herself. Normally gregarious, Celeste was timid. She seemed jumpy and nervous, and would cry uncontrollably when scolded.

Mercer was concerned but didn't realize Celeste may have been being abused.

"Thinking about it now, she had her own little way of telling me something wasn't right," Mercer quietly said.

Custodial dad will not serve jail time for locking son in feces-covered basement (Allen County, Indiana)

We've reported on custodial dad ERIC URBANO before. Note that there is still not one word of explanation as to what happened to this boy's mother, and why this father was allowed to subject this child to such horrible conditions. Note that even now, Daddy is getting the kid glove treatment and will not be serving jail time for locking this boy in a feces-covered basement while Daddy jetted off to Florida. Disgusting.

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT.

http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/neglectful-dad-will-not-serve-jail-time

Neglectful dad will not serve jail time
Urbano on probation for leaving son in basement
Updated: Thursday, 26 Aug 2010, 2:00 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 26 Aug 2010, 10:34 AM EDT

Drew Blair
ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - The man who locked his son in a feces-covered basement while he traveled to Florida was sentenced for the crime Thursday morning.

Eric Urbano, 38, will serve a six year suspended sentence, five years on probation as part of an accepted plea agreement. Urbano is also order to not have contact with his son until the child is 18-years-old.

He pleaded guilty in July to one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of neglect of a dependent.

Allen County Prosecutor, Karen Richards said the sentence is appropriate for everyone involved in the case.

"You have to weigh your need or want for revenge against what's in the best interest of the child," Richards said. "If the child is going to be more harmed by testifying in order to make all of us feel better that somebody gets a jail sentence then that's not justice. That's child abuse again."
Police found Urbano's son living in a Fort Wayne home on March 6, 2010, in the 1500 block of Spy Run Avenue with several animals, including five cats and dogs with feces in every room of the house.

The boy, whose age has not been released, told police that he had been locked in the basement every night since they moved into the home last fall.

Originally it was said that the father was vacationing in Florida at the time of the discovery. His attorney, Randy Fisher told NewsChannel 15 that Urbano had traveled to the state to finalize a divorce from woman who is not the boy's mother.

During the sentencing hearing, a portion of a letter written by Urbano's son was read to the courtroom. The boy wrote that his situation is "100 percent" improved and he now has his own bedroom and bathroom. Judge Frances Gull addressed Urbano following that letter stating "it is pretty pathetic" that that is the best thing his son can say to his father.

Urbano chose to speak during the hearing. He apologized to his son, "I'm sorry. I wish I could take it back but I can’t," he said.

The manner in which the victim will be cared for will be determined in family court.

Dad sentenced to probation for killing family dog in front of kids (Detroit, Michigan)

Dad RANDY LEE PITTMAN has pleaded guilty to torturing and killing an animal (the family dog no less--AND in front of this kids). For this he gets 2 years of probation.

http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2010/05/31/news/doc4c01399770c99353410437.txt


DETROIT: Father sentenced to probation for killing family dog
Published: Monday, May 31, 2010

By Anne Sullivan

DETROIT — A Huron Township man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Wayne County Circuit Court to torturing and killing an animal

Under a sentence agreement, Randy Lee Pittman, 51, was sentenced to two years probation, 200 hours of community service, alcohol and drug testing, and counseling mandated by the probation department. He also cannot own an animal.

Pittman is convicted of shooting his 12-year-old daughter’s dog with an arrow April 27 in the backyard of his house in the 28500 block of Brandes in Huron Township.

When police arrived at the house they found Pittman in the backyard hunched over the wounded animal. The dog, a small 1 ½-year-old beagle mix was still breathing and had a cloth wrapped around its body and gauze bandages on it. Nearby, there was a broken arrow with blood on it.

The daughter told police the dog had gotten off its leash and her father told her to get it. She said she tried to catch it, but couldn’t.

A short time later she heard the dog whimpering, looked out a window and saw her father standing over the dog and an arrow sticking out of the animal’s side.

She said she went outside and her father was trying to pick up the dog. She ran into the house, got her cell phone and took pictures of the dog. The girl said her father moved the dog, she got scared, ran down the street and called her mother to come get her.

The girl told police her dog has gotten off its leash in the past, and her father had threatened to kill it but she didn’t believe he was serious.

Police confiscated five guns and a bow and arrows from the house.

The girl’s sister took the dog to a veterinary clinic where it was euthanized.

Dad charged with setting puppy on fire--and forcing children to hold it (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Dad JOHN WILLIAM FLEET 3rd has been charged with animal cruelty, arson, and child endangerment. He allegedly set a puppy on fire, while forcing his two children, ages 6 and 8, to hold the puppy.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100318_City_man_faces_multiple_charges_in_puppy_burning.html

Posted on Thu, Mar. 18, 2010

City man faces multiple charges in puppy burning

A Northeast Philadelphia man has been held for trial on charges of animal cruelty, arson, and child endangerment in connection with the burning of a pitbull-mix puppy Jan. 28. John William Fleet 3d, 33, appeared for a preliminary hearing before Municipal Judge Ricardo C. Jackson yesterday. He remained in custody in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Fleet told police that the 5-month-old dog had been burned accidentally, but his children, ages 6 and 8, later told a school counselor that their father had become enraged when the dog nipped at them. The children said Fleet had made them hold the dog while he set it on fire. - Joseph A. Slobodzian and Kathleen Brady Shea

Dad blames death of 3-week-old daughter on two cats (Liberty, Missouri)

What is this? Blame Your Pet week?

First we had the Florida daddy HERBERT WADE PRIESTER, who tried to blame Bandit the dog for abusing the baby (though there were no bite or scratch marks on the child).

Now we have dad TRISTAN WILLIAMS blaming the baby's death on TWO CATS. Are you kidding me? So you would have us believe that two psycho kitties managed to inflict fatal brain swelling and hemorrhaging, multiple fractures, and abrasions to the face and spinal cord on an infant who wasn't even a month old? And where was the babysitting dad while this nefarious feline assault was taking place?

Of course, the story MIGHT have been more believable if Dad hadn't been investigated for child neglect before. Oh, and there's that little thing about a domestic assault arrest just a week before the baby's murder. What's that about, hmm?

But never fear. No matter how bad you are, some clueless enabler will come to the rescue and defend your deadbeat @$$. He's "never been the type to hurt children"!

Wrong.

http://www.kctv5.com/news/22606849/detail.html

Metro Father Charged In Infant’s Death
Man Says Cats Knocked Baby Out Of Bouncing Chair

POSTED: 8:00 pm CST February 18, 2010
UPDATED: 8:17 pm CST February 18, 2010

LIBERTY, Mo. -- A metro father is in trouble in connection with the death of his own child.

Court documents said 11 injuries are listed as the cause of death and the prosecuting attorney said he's never had a case where the victim was less than 30 days old.

The suspect in the case is the father of the 3-week-old baby, Tristan Williams. He was arrested at his Liberty apartment two days ago after the baby died at Children's Mercy Hospital.

The story he told doctors and police was that he placed the infant in a bouncing chair in her crib and that his two cats knocked the baby over. Clay County Prosecutor Dan White said the evidence says otherwise.

"He was charged with abuse of a child resulting in death, so I think it's fair to say I don't believe the story of the cats," he said.

Williams was watching the child while the baby's mother went to a doctor's appointment. He said after he found the child tipped over in the seat he placed her across his lap on her stomach and began patting her on the back.

Doctors said the baby suffered from brain swelling and hemorrhaging, multiple fractures, abrasions to the face and spinal cord.

Williams was picked up by Liberty police at a friend's house. She didn't want to be identified but the friend said Williams had never been the type to hurt children.

"It was a really big shock," she said. "I've known this person for at least 12 years and they've watched my own kids several times and they absolutely love him. He was so excited to be having a baby."

White said young parents often times can't handle the pressures of caring for an infant, which increases abuse cases resulting in death.

"When you deal with a young child who has the lack of ability to relay that something is wrong other than crying a lot of times that child is not accustomed to responding to that instant gratification we are accustomed t seeing in our society," White said.

White said he has called on other prosecutors and mental health officials to address the problem. Court documents revealed that in 2002 and 2003, Williams was questioned by the division of family services regarding child neglect of two other kids. He was also arrested on a charge of domestic assault two weeks ago.