Jacob Freeman (Craighead County Sheriff”s Office).
An Arkansas resident has been accused of injuring a 2-month-old infant’s scalp, jaw, and chin, before allegedly misleading authorities by claiming the baby fell from a bed.
Jacob Freeman, aged 19, faces charges of second-degree domestic battery involving a child younger than 12, as revealed by Craighead County jail records accessed by Law&Crime.
The incident reportedly took place in Jonesboro, the administrative center of Craighead County, situated in northeastern Arkansas, close to the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri.
According to KAIT-TV, an ABC and NBC affiliate based in Jonesboro, the baby boy was taken to a local hospital on February 12, presenting with a chin laceration, bruising on his scalp, jaw, and upper lip, as well as redness on his left shoulder.
A nurse at the hospital notified the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division regarding the injuries.
The affidavit, as mentioned by the news outlet, claims Freeman inflicted these injuries while responsible for the child’s care. Details regarding Freeman’s exact relationship with the infant have not been disclosed.
Investigators with the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office responded, and they questioned Freeman about what happened.
Freeman told investigators the child had fallen off a bed, but they didn’t buy it. Authorities said the child’s injuries were not consistent with a fall.
The defendant was arrested and booked into the Craighead County jail on Friday morning. He is being held on a $100,000 bond and has been ordered to have no contact with the child.
The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on March 19.
