Police: Girl had severe injuries ‘consistent with non-accidental trauma’
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Juan J. Silva-Vasquez is charged with aggravated assault for severely injuring his 11-month-old daughter, police said.
A Coatesville detective got a distressing call Monday evening: An unresponsive, 11-month-old girl had been rushed to the hospital with severe injuries.
Coatesville Det. Shawn Dowds said Wednesday that an investigation resulted in the arrest Tuesday of the baby’s father, Juan J. Silva-Vasquez, 30, whose charges include aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The girl remains in critical condition at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Dowds said.
Dowds said a county detective contacted him after getting an alert from the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department, which had responded to the YMCA in East Goshen Township. YMCA personnel had summoned an ambulance after noticing that the child was lethargic and “not acting normally,” he said.
Coatesville police said an investigation led to child-abuse charges against a 30-year-old Coatesville father.
According to the criminal complaint, the girl’s mother, an employee of the East Goshen YMCA, had placed the infant in the children’s care area of the YMCA but told investigators the injuries occurred at their home in the 300 block of Madison Street in Coatesville.
The complaint said that during an interview with Coatesville Det. Kevin Campbell, Silva-Vasquez acknowledged that he had cared for his daughter the night before. He admitted dropping the baby, who struck her head on a coffee table, and forcefully grabbing the crying child by both arms and throwing her on a bed, the complaint said.
A nurse at the hospital said the child had a fracture in each arm, two skull fractures, and other injuries “consistent with non-accidental trauma,” the complaint said.
Dowds said the investigation is continuing. After failing to post $250,000 cash bail, Silva-Vasquez was taken to Chester County Prison to await a preliminary hearing on Monday, according to court records.
Court records also show that Silva-Vasquez, who pleaded guilty to public drunkenness in May 2011, has a preliminary hearing pending for an alleged drunken-driving offense from Oct. 5.
I cannot believe this mother was not arrested too! How could she allow her baby to suffer all night with life sustaining injuries and fail to render medical aid for her? What is this world coming to?
Then to grind out that when police came they found the home uninhabitable, forced them to leave ans then days later returned this poor baby to the mother who could be just as involved as the father in hurting her — at the very least ensuring she received proper medical care!!!
THIS IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL OUTRAGE!
What are the police and social services doing to he,lp this innocent baby?????