VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida father was charged with aggravated child abuse after doctors said his infant son suffered severe brain injuries consistent with abuse from shaking.
In January, detectives said a 3-month-old baby boy was rushed to the emergency room after he lost consciousness at a home in Ormond Beach and went into cardiac arrest.
The baby was unresponsive and placed on life support on Jan. 23.
Doctors determined the baby had several injuries and fractures that resulted from physical abuse such as shaking, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
Investigators said they later learned that the baby’s father, 32-year-old Malcolm Nelson, had shaken his son in the past, including the morning he became unresponsive.
The sheriff’s office said detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Nelson and arrested him in Orlando. He was transported from the Orange County Jail to the Volusia County Branch Jail on Tuesday and is being held on a $150,000 bond.
The baby, now 11 months old, remains on life support, according to deputies.
Nelson could face an upgraded charge if his son doesn’t recover from his injuries.