Anthony Hildreth (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office).
A Jacksonville, Florida, man is facing allegations that he caused 25 fractures to an infant’s bones while the baby was in his care, with authorities saying he acknowledged repeatedly “squeezing” the child’s ribs in what he described as an effort to relieve gas after growing “frustrated.”
Anthony Hildreth, 31, told investigators he felt upset with himself “due to being unable to soothe [the child],” according to details outlined in an arrest report.
“Anthony advised that [the child] was crying and he became frustrated by that,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office states in the report.
Investigators allege Hildreth said he tried “several techniques in an attempt to relieve gas” on the night of June 30, after the infant — who had been left in his care that evening — began crying. A woman who cared for the baby earlier that day told authorities the child had seemed “gassy” but otherwise appeared normal and unhurt, the report says.
“One of these techniques included squeezing the ribs starting from light pressure to more pressure until he passed gas,” according to the report. “Another technique utilized by Anthony was ‘bicycle kicks,’ where he would push [the child’s] legs to his chest.”
Hildreth allegedly told police he repeated those methods multiple times overnight while trying to calm the baby. “Anthony noticed that [the child’s] breathing was different after he squeezed his to release his gas,” the arrest report says.
At about 3 a.m., the woman, who was also inside the home and had been asleep, woke to the sound of the infant crying. “Anthony then notified [the woman] he was worried about the breathing as it appeared to be abnormal,” police wrote. “Anthony furthermore stated he could have caused the rib fractures by the amount of pressure he utilized when squeezing near the ribs to release gas.”
The child was brought to a local hospital due to the breathing issues and medical staff reported that he had 24 fractures to his ribs and a fracture to his right femur near the knee. Police were notified and made contact with Hildreth and the woman.
“Anthony was unsure of how the fracture to the femur was caused,” the arrest report says. “Anthony stated [the child’s] leg got stuck in the swaddling device unknowingly and he did not notice until he pulled harder on the swaddling device. Due to the severity of the fractures caused to [the child] Anthony was arrested for aggravated child abuse.”
Hildreth was released on a $50,003 bond and placed on home detention with electronic monitoring. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
