A father in Pennsylvania has been charged after his newborn baby suffered serious injuries and remains in critical condition. The Jim Thorpe Borough Police Department and the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident, which happened on February 19 at a home on Chapman Street in Jim Thorpe.
The investigation began when hospital staff at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital contacted authorities about a severely injured 27-day-old infant. The baby was rushed to the emergency room with life-threatening injuries, including blunt-force trauma to the head. Concerned about possible abuse, the hospital alerted the Carbon County Children and Youth Services.
According to the arrest report, the baby’s father, 30-year-old Edward Ellis Bailey, admitted that he became frustrated when he could not get the baby to stop crying. He reportedly told investigators, “I couldn’t get her to stop crying, so I lightly dropped her on the bed.” Bailey then said he was walking quickly down the stairs while carrying the baby but lost his balance and dropped the child, leading to the injuries.
However, investigators determined that the injuries were not consistent with Bailey’s explanation. The referral from Carbon County Children and Youth Services suggested that the baby had suffered abuse. Despite the severity of the injuries, Bailey said that after the incident, he simply put the baby to bed. He later claimed that he and the child’s mother became concerned when the baby started showing seizure-like symptoms, which are often linked to brain injuries.
Bailey told police that the next morning, around 7 a.m., he noticed the baby’s hand twitching. The parents waited until around 10 a.m. before taking the baby to the hospital.
Bailey has been charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. As of now, the baby’s mother is not facing any charges.
The infant is still in critical condition, and Bailey is being held at the Carbon County Correctional Facility with bail set at $100,000 in cash. Authorities continue to investigate the case.
