A family friend noticed the 6-month-old was vomiting, crying excessively and was stiff and shaking while asleep Tuesday, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.
The child was taken to a hospital where doctors found substantial brain hemorrhaging in different stages of healing as well as a recent hemorrhage.
Investigators noticed inconsistencies in the mother’s story while interviewing witnesses and Guillermo Torres, 25, the child’s father.
On Thursday, Paola Perez, 21, told investigators she forcibly grabbed the boy on at least two occasions between Sept. 30 and Monday causing his head to jerk back and forth, the sheriff’s office said.
Perez was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm, according to jail records.
The child is in serious but stable condition, investigators said.
About the Author