Additional Coverage:
- Baby girl critically injured after mother’s 19-year-old boyfriend ‘punches’ her in the head (themirror.com)
Bronx Teen Accused of Horrific Assault on One-Year-Old
A 19-year-old Bronx man has been charged with first-degree assault and child endangerment after allegedly punching his girlfriend’s one-year-old daughter multiple times. The brutal attack, which occurred last Thursday in a South Bronx apartment, left the infant in critical condition and requiring emergency surgery.
According to police, Jerome Thomas admitted to striking the child twice with a “heavy hand.” The force of the blows caused severe head trauma, necessitating the surgical removal of a portion of the child’s skull to alleviate swelling. The young victim was placed on life support and a ventilator at Harlem Hospital.
The child’s mother told police she had left the infant in Thomas’s care for approximately 45 minutes. Upon her return, she discovered the child severely bruised and struggling to breathe. Thomas is not the child’s father, according to police.
Neighbors reported hearing frequent arguments coming from the couple’s apartment. One neighbor expressed regret, saying she wished she had intervened.
Thomas pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court and is being held without bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 4th.