Police: Newborn Critically Injured By Father
NORTH FAYETTE (KDKA) -- A North Fayette man is facing charges after police say he assaulted his 20-day-old son.
On Nov. 9, the infant was taken to Children's Hospital where he was treated for a head wound. Reports say the child had brain bleeding and a bruise on his face. The victim was put on a ventilator and is in critical condition.
Investigators believe the injury was inflicted by the infant's father, 21-year-old Devin Yetsick.
The child's mother told police that Yetsick was angry because the child would not stop crying and because she had run to the store for cigarettes and pop. That's when she says she saw Yetsick walk into the baby's room and followed him because he is "known to do bad things when he is angry."
She then watched Yetsick punch the infant in the face, according to police documents.
Neighbor Tangie Harlan tells KDKA she has heard commotion coming from Yetsick's home in the past.
"He's not a nice person, I can hear the way he talks to his girlfriend, talks to the kid, it's a lot of foul language," Harlan said. "I can remember seeing her one time when they first moved in with a black eye, I can't attribute it to that, but just with his demeanor, he scares me."
Harlan, as many others in the community, said she was heartbroken by the alleged abuse.
"It's disgusting, I mean, tiny baby, I can't even, that's the fourth kid in the house, there are three other small children as well. Just to think anyone would do that breaks my heart."
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit charged the man with aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. Yetsick was lodged in the Allegheny County Jail.
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