A Des Moines infant is hospitalized in serious condition and police have charged the baby’s father with Child Endangerment. Des Moines Police Sergeant Lori Lavorato says 18-year-old Paul Russell Davis admitted he caused the injuries.
“He said he grabbed the child out of the baby swing, threw him into the crib and eventually grabbed him out of the crib and shook him in an attempt to keep him awake – but in fact, that actually made him go limp,” Lavorato said.
The child, five-month-old Christopher Davis, is expected to survive. The baby was taken to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines just before noon Thursday. Lavorato says the infant suffered a fractured skull, a broken neck, brain injuries and had multiple bruises on his body.
Davis told investigators the incident happened after he and his wife, 16-year-old Kayla Phipps-Davis, got into an argument. Kayla left their apartment to take a walk and calm down. When she returned 30 minutes later, they took the baby to the hospital. Lavorato says the Iowa Department of Human Services has taken custody of the child.