Williston man arrested for abusing weeks old baby

WILLISTON, N.D. (KXNET) — A 24-year-old Williston man, Jacob Luman, has been arrested for child abuse after medical officials found multiple contusions to Luman’s 5 to 6-week-old baby’s brain consistent with non-accidental trauma.

According to the Williston Police Department, officers responded to a local medical facility for a report of suspected child abuse on March 14 around 1:40 a.m. After arriving on the scene, medical staff informed police that they had observed one or more brain bleeds from a 5 to 6-week-old baby that was brought to the facility by its parents.

Medical staff deduced that the bleeds were due to multiple contusions to the baby’s brain that they believed were from non-accidental trauma. The baby was then flown to an out-of-town medical facility for life-saving measures.

The status of the baby has not been released at this time.

Police then began investigating the potential child abuse and identified the baby’s father, Jacob Luman, as the suspect. Luman and the baby’s mother had originally brought the baby to the emergency room due to the pair finding blood in the baby’s diaper.

According to an affidavit sent by police, investigating officers spoke to Luman who stated that the baby had been “crying a lot” and was not “sleeping much.”

Luman also stated to police that he had been violently shaking the baby and that his violence escalated at times including throwing a bassinet containing the baby into a wall.

Luman is now being held in the Williams County Correction Center on the charge of Child Abuse of a victim under 6 years, a Class A Felony. A hearing for Luman is currently scheduled for April 26.