Mom’s abuse of baby caused injuries as serious as a car crash, Arkansas cops say
An Arkansas mother has been charged after doctors said her baby sustained injuries from suspected abuse similar to what someone would receive in a “very bad car accident,” according to local media.
The 19-year-old Jonesboro woman was arrested Nov. 4 on a second-degree battery charge, jail records show. McClatchy News is not naming the woman to protect the identity of the child.
According to court records, the arrest stems from a July incident where a 6-month-old was brought to the hospital with severe injuries, KAIT reported.
Doctors told Sgt. Bill Brown of the Jonesboro Police Department that the baby’s injuries, which included bleeding and bruising on the brain and multiple limb fractures, are typically caused by “a very bad car accident or physical abuse,” the outlet reported, citing court records.
The mother told police the baby suffered from seizures and their injuries could have come from falling off the couch, the Jonesboro Sun reported.
The child’s father, who said he does not live with the mother and was not present when the injuries occurred, told police the 19-year-old described the baby as “a sack of flour,” the outlet reported, citing court records.
The father told police he never witnessed the baby having a seizure, and worried the child, if left in the care of the mother, would “wind up dead,” Jonesboro Right Now reported, citing court records.
Investigators determined the baby had not been in a car accident and the injuries were caused by physical abuse, the outlet reported.
The mother is being held at Craighead County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Mom’s abuse of baby caused injuries as serious as a car crash, Arkansas cops say."
