Background: The Chippewa County Jail in Chippewa Falls, Wis. (Google Maps). Inset: Dayne Paulson (Chippewa County Sheriff”s Office).
A Wisconsin man has been arrested following allegations of severe abuse against his newborn son, authorities report.
Dayne Paulson, 23, is currently held in Chippewa County Jail, facing charges of repeated physical abuse of a child resulting in significant bodily harm. According to details from a criminal complaint accessed by GazetteXtra, police were alerted on April 25 by staff at Marshfield Hospital about a suspected child abuse case. A woman had brought her 27-day-old son to the hospital, who was suffering from a cut above his eye, a bruised eye, and an injury to his nasal septum.
Further medical examination revealed that the infant had sustained multiple injuries, including a skull fracture.
The newborn was immediately transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit for advanced medical care. In a report by local ABC affiliate WQOW, the criminal complaint indicated that subsequent examinations at another hospital uncovered three skull fractures, along with fractures to the collarbone, leg, nose, and rib.
Following his arrest, Paulson allegedly explained to the police that the baby was “being dramatic” and resistant to diaper changes. On April 27, during discussions with social workers, Paulson reportedly confessed to injuring the baby when he would not quiet down and stop crying. He allegedly admitted to punching the infant in the eye and repeatedly head-butting him.
Authorities further revealed that Paulson conceded to squeezing the baby with such intensity that he injured his own ribs. As per the complaint, police requested Paulson to demonstrate his actions using a Kleenex box, which he crushed completely.
WQOW reported that a doctor who treated the baby said he had a good chance of recovery. Due to his young age, it was too soon to tell if he was going to suffer permanent damage.
Paulson made his first court appearance on May 1, when his bond was increased from $50,000 cash to $200,000. He remains in custody at the Chippewa County Jail. He was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday and again on May 26.
