Inset: Michael Torres (Lancaster County DA’s Office). Background: The Pennsylvania street where Torres allegedly injured a 3-year-old’s leg (Google Maps).
A 27-year-old man in Pennsylvania faces serious legal repercussions after allegedly assaulting a 3-year-old child because the boy “refused to sleep,” reportedly hitting him so hard that it resulted in a broken and dislocated femur.
The authorities have arrested Michael Torres, charging him with aggravated assault and endangering a child’s welfare, announced officials.
Per a statement from the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, Torres is accused of fracturing and dislocating the victim’s femur by repeatedly striking the child.
The inquiry initiated on July 20 when the Lancaster City Police Department officers were summoned to Lancaster General Hospital following a welfare check request.
Hospital staff informed law enforcement that a 3-year-old had been admitted with suspected child abuse injuries, as York, Pennsylvania’s Fox affiliate WPMT reported. The purported abuse happened earlier that day at a residence on the 500 block of High Street, roughly 80 miles from Philadelphia.
The hospital nursing staff suspected that Torres was the assailant, per the release.
When police questioned Torres about the cause of the child’s injuries, prosecutors said he responded by “admitting to having struck the victim three to four times,” adding that the strikes were “really hard.” Torres continued, allegedly telling police that he hit the 3-year-old “out of anger and frustration that the victim wouldn’t go to sleep.”
At one point during the assault, Torres reportedly exclaimed, “I’m going to give him something to cry about,” referring to the victim.
Torres late last month waived his preliminary hearing before County Magisterial District Judge Adam J. Witkonis, meaning that his case will now proceed to county court. Such a proceeding would have required prosecutors to present sufficient evidence showing probable cause that the defendant committed the crime with which he is charged. A date for Torres’ next court appearance was not immediately available.
Torres has remained in detention at the Lancaster County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail since his initial arrest.
