Inset: Hunter Dalton (Whitehall Police Dept.). Background: The apartment complex where Dalton allegedly hospitalized his newborn son (WSYX).
An Ohio man, aged 20, faces allegations of assaulting his girlfriend and severely injuring his newborn son, leaving the infant with brain injuries due to frustration over misplacing his vape device.
Authorities apprehended Hunter P. Dalton last week, charging him with felonious assault, domestic violence by assault, and assault. According to records accessed by Law&Crime, the Whitehall Police Department responded to a 911 call concerning a domestic altercation at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of East Main Street, roughly 150 miles southwest of Cleveland, at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
The mother of the child made the initial 911 call while hiding with her dog in the leasing office of the apartment complex. She informed the dispatcher that Dalton had threatened the lives of her and their 1-month-old infant, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement officers found the mother still concealed inside the leasing office, while Dalton was outside their apartment. Officers arrested Dalton promptly before entering the residence, where they discovered the baby in distress in his crib, struggling to breathe.
The newborn was rushed to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, about six miles away, by emergency medical services. Hospital staff informed authorities of the child’s brain bleeding and damage, but despite the severity, he is expected to recover.
In discussions with the police, the mother indicated that, along with that day’s incident, Dalton had also strangled her the day before, as reported by the Columbus ABC affiliate WSYX reported.
Speaking about the morning of the assault, the mother reportedly said that Dalton became angry when he woke up and could not find his vaping device. The mother said Dalton grew angrier when she would not help him look for the device because she was taking care of their infant, and when he saw that the family dog had chewed some tissues in the home.
In response, Dalton allegedly threw his girlfriend to the ground, kicked their dog, threw a fan across the room, and threatened to kill the mother and child.
Dalton’s girlfriend reportedly said Dalton’s “anger issues” had been exacerbated by the arrival of the infant and described him as being “overwhelmed” and easily irritated.
In his interview with investigators, Dalton reportedly denied harming the child, claiming all he did was move the baby from his bouncy seat to the crib.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the young child who was the victim of this horrific act,” Whitehall Chief Deputy of Police Shawn Wilson told WSYX. “We remain hopeful for his full recovery and ask the community to join us in supporting him and his family during this difficult time. We also want to commend the outstanding work of our patrol and detective divisions, whose response to this case was marked by professionalism, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to justice. This is an ongoing investigation and we will provide updates as necessary.”
Dalton is currently being held in the Franklin County Correction Center in lieu of $1 million bond. Should he be released, he is prohibited from making threats, possessing a firearm, consuming alcohol, or having contact with the victims, records show.
Dalton is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 29 for his arraignment.
