Mother's Boyfriend Jailed After 20-Month-Old Critically Injured
FAYETTE COUNTY (KDKA) – A young boy is fighting for his life, after police say he was critically injured after being shaken by his mother's boyfriend.
The 20-month-old, named Chase, is in a medically induced coma at Children's Hospital.
Police say early Friday evening, he was shaken by his mother's boyfriend inside a house on Liberty Avenue in Smithfield, Fayette County.
"He suffered some pretty severe injuries, a severe head injury, as well as a lacerated liver," said State Police Tpr. Stefanie Plume.
The boyfriend, 35-year-old Raymond Matteson, told police he walked out of the room while changing the child's diaper and when he returned, the child was unresponsive.
But a witness tells a different story.
The witness told police that the suspect shook the child in the kitchen, then placed the child's head under the faucet to try to revive him – when that didn't work, the suspect took the child to an upstairs bathroom and put him in the shower.
"From what I understand, he offered several explanations to the investigators as far as what happened, he had several different stories that were pretty inconsistent with each other," said Plume.
The child's mother posted on her Facebook page Saturday: "Prayers needed for my baby boy he is in bad shape thanks."
Doctors at Children's Hospital called police after determining that the child's injuries were not the result of an accident.
"I just seen a couple of police and stuff was taking evidence bags out," said neighbor Kenneth Lindsey.
Neighbors, who say the child would often play in the yard with his toy cars, are in shock.
"Usually in this area, you don't hear of anything that happens like this," Lindsey said.
Matteson is facing aggravated assault and related charges. He's in the Fayette County Jail, unable to post $250,000 bond.
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