Jose Gurno Charged With Assault, Child Endangerment After Child Found With Heavy Bruising

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Hibbing man faces assault and child endangerment charges, among others, after authorities say his 1-month-old child had injuries "consistent with non-accidental trauma."

According to the Hibbing Police Department, the child's 20-year-old mother came home from work Monday afternoon and found the child with bruises on her face.

The child was airlifted to a Duluth hospital in critical but stable condition. Police said she had a subdural hemorrhage and "significant" retinal hemorrhages. The child was also mildly hypothermic.

A criminal complaint states the woman also found her boyfriend, Jose Flores Gurno, asleep in the living room when she arrived home. She told police she thought he was drunk.

She confronted Gurno about the bruises, and he said "nothing happened and the baby was fine," according to the complaint. Gurno allegedly choked the woman until she lost consciousness. She later woke up and found Gurno on the floor next to her.

When police arrived, Gurno allegedly told them he "did not know what was going on," and denied choking the woman. He initially denied drinking, but later admitted he took the baby to a friend's house, where he drank until he blacked out, the complaint states. He allegedly told police he did not remember how he got home, or how the child got injured, but that it must have been him since he was the only one with the baby.

Gurno was arrested Thursday. He is charged with first-degree assault, domestic assault by strangulation, two counts of third-degree assault and child endangerment.