A West Union man accused of seriously injuring his ex-girlfriend’s young child has avoided a trial by pleading guilty to charges. Twenty-five-year-old Javier Toms is accused of throwing seven month old Damien Worthy to the floor in a West Union apartment while babysiting the child for the mother, Angela Worthy, now of Oelwein.
Toms initially said the baby fell, but later admitted to injuring the child. Damien Worthy was hospitalized in Iowa City for over two weeks and is now blind, suffers from brain damage and seizures, and has to be fed through a tub. Toms pleaded guilty in Fayette County court last week to two charges of child endangerment.
Toms was sentenced Monday and given a maximum of 10 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for the child’s medical bills.