Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, December 10, 2015
(BEDFORD) - A Bedford couple was arrested after police say a 9-month-old suffered severe injuries on more than one occasion.
Police arrested 29-year-old Brandon Hackney, of 2218 Park Ave., and 31-year-old Hollie Johnson on felony charges of child neglect.
According to a Lawrence County Superior II Court probable cause affidavit states on Oct. 7 at 2 a.m. Johnson's 9-month-old son was being treated at St. Vincent Dunn Hospital for bruising and bite marks all over his head and body. He also had fractures to his ribs, femur, tibia and radius.
The infant was taken to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. where Dr. Tara Harris, a physician specializing in child abuse pediatrics, stated the baby also suffered a laceration to his liver and a laceration to one kidney. He says some of the boy's injuries were healing.
A female relative, told police his 2-year-old brother and Johnson live with Hackney.
Johnson allegedly called the relative on Oct. 6 around 9:30 p.m. asking her to pick up her and the boys up from Hackney's house on Park Avenue.
Johnson told the relative that when she came home from work she had found the 2-year-old was screaming in a playpen, and the 9-month-old crying in Hackney's bedroom.
Johnson was was in the bedroom with the infant. Hackney told Johnson the 2-year-old bit the 9-month-old, and that the 2-year-old also threw a can of Pepsi at the 9-month-old causing the the baby's injuries.
However, Dr. Harris reported that it is likely that the 2-year-old caused the bite mark on the baby's upper arm, it was not plausible that a young child inflicted the remainder of the baby's multiple and severe injuries.
He also stated that in his opinion, it was not possible that the injuries could have been caused by another child jumping onto the baby.
Dr. Harris reported that some of the injuries were acute, while many others were healing, indicating more than one instance of serious physical abuse had happened.
Dr. Harris reported that while being cared for at Riley Hospital, the baby continued to suffer significant pain despite being given Fetanyl and IV Morphine in the emergency room. He added the baby's distress was very clear, and it was concerning that medical attention was not sought for his injuries.
When the relative picked up Johnson from Hackney's home, the baby had visible bruises on his head and ear. Johnson took both kids to her home, changed the baby's diaper and found more bruising on his body. .
The relative told police the baby would not stop whining and Johnson took him to the emergency room for treatment.
Johnson told hospital officials that the last time she had saw her baby on Oct. 2, the baby had no injuries.
Bedford Police Detectives spoke to Johnson on Oct. 7. Johnson told police that when she had arrived home from work the previous evening the baby was crying and clung to her as if he was afraid or in pain. She then noticed the bruises on his head and bite marks on his legs.
Johnson told police she asked Hackney about the bruises and was told the 2-year-old had bit the baby and that the baby had fallen off the bed.
Johnson accused Hackney of being neglectful for letting the baby get injured. She says Hackney apologized about the incident.
When Johnson told Hackney she was taking the baby to the hospital, Hackney told her he didn't want the relative to come get her saying he wanted to wait so the injuries would not look "fresh".
When police confronted Hackney, he told detectives the toddler jumped on the infant, and that the baby fell off the bed. Hackney also pulled the victim off an electronic toy, which could have injured the boy's ribs.
Hackney told police he had been watching the children, but had fallen asleep when the injuries happened.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.