Pittsburgh-area dad charged after infant hospitalized with broken bones and bruising
NEW FLORENCE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Westmoreland County father was charged after his baby was hospitalized with broken bones and severe bruising, officials said.
State police investigators were notified about a two-month-old admitted to UPMC Children's Hospital with serious injuries on Wednesday.
The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said the baby had been taken to a pediatric doctor a day earlier for a reported chest rash that was diagnosed as an abrasion bruise. Thirty-year-old Christopher Timko of New Florence was told to take the child to Children's Hospital, but officials said he didn't seek further treatment.
After the appointment, Children and Youth Services visited Timko's home and urged him to take the bruised baby to the hospital for treatment.
Once the baby got to Children's, the district attorney's office said the baby's chest, legs, back, head and hands were bruised. Initial testing revealed two possible rib fractures and fractures on both legs, state police said.
According to the district attorney's office, Timko was interviewed at the hospital and allegedly admitted to physically abusing the infant and lying about the baby's injuries.
He told troopers he aggressively pulled the baby's legs out of frustration and anger and dropped the child on the floor, the district attorney's office said. State police said the injuries reportedly happened over the last two weeks while the child's mom was at work and under Timko's care.
"Would have never guessed that he was definitely capable of something like that at all," said Timko's neighbor, Nicholas Rivera.
Neighbors learned about Timko's arrest on Thursday night, they say, after running into the child's mother outside her home.
"Was very distraught, very confused," Rivera said, adding, "Probably just shocked. I mean, She was working and hoping that her husband was going to take care of her kids and was not expecting that."
Family, who wished to remain anonymous, told KDKA-TV Timko is a father of three and they can't believe this happened. Neighbors echoed that, saying from what they could tell, Timko was a good dad.
"The kids were always playing, they always had toys and were always riding around. He was always interacting with the kids outside whenever they were outside. Like I said, I would have never guessed anything like that. It was a very big shock to all of us," Rivera said.
Timko was charged with aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of children and obstruction. He is behind bars and was denied bail.