3-Month-Old New York Baby Hospitalized With Fractures 'In Various Stages Of Healing,' Father Arrested

A 22-year-old father in New York was arrested after his 3-month-old child ended up in hospital with multiple fractures, the police said Tuesday in a statement.

Dustin Smith of Nunda, Livingston County, was arrested after the Livingston County Sheriff's Office was alerted by the Child Protective Services about a child with injuries that "were suspicious in nature." The statement by the sheriff's office said the child was being treated at Strong Memorial Hospital.

"The baby was found to have multiple fractures in various stages of healing, including multiple rib fractures, a femur fracture to the right leg, fractures to all three bones (fibula, tibia, and femur) in the left leg, and possible fractures to both right and left humerus bones (bone in the upper arm)," the release added.

The sheriff's office and the Child Protection Services then visited the baby's home and questioned the father. According to the officers, Smith caused the injuries after he became "angry and frustrated while caring for his child."

The statement added Smith, on multiple occasions, forcefully squeezed and held his child down, causing the injuries.

Smith was then arrested on June 3 and charged with two counts of first-degree attempted assault, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, Rochester First reported.

An order has also been issued barring Smith from having any contact with the child. He is being held in the Livingston County Jail on a $15,000 cash or $30,000 bond.

Information about the child's mother was not revealed.

Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty also commended the hospital staff who brought the case to the attention of the authorities. "This baby doesn't have a voice to tell anybody, doesn't have the ability to run away, apparently has no protector in the home, and frankly, it's disgusting," Sheriff Tom Dougherty said. "As a parent, my heart breaks, and the accusations are just disgusting," he said in the statement.

Alabama recently witnessed a similar incident wherein a father was arrested for murdering his 5-week-old son. Caleb Whisnand Sr. was arrested hours after he held a press conference seeking public help to find his "missing son." Officers from Montgomery County Sheriff's Office had found the remains of the baby in a wooded area shortly after the briefing.