Tyler James Deutsch Update: Wash. dad who allegedly put baby daughter in freezer pleads not guilty
(CBS/AP) TACOMA, Wash. - Bail has been set at $1 million for a 25-year-old Washington man accused of putting his 6-week-old daughter in a freezer for about an hour to stop her crying.
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Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist says doctors believe the baby will survive but it's too soon to know potential complications.
Tyler James Deutsch pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of child assault, criminal mistreatment and interfering with reporting of domestic violence.
According to court papers, after giving several accounts, Deutsch admitted to police that he put the baby in the freezer Saturday "because he was tired and she was crying," reports CBS Seattle.
The prosecutor says Deutsch fell asleep, then awoke and was removing the baby when the child's mother returned.
He's accused of taking the phone away when the mother tried to call for help from their trailer in Roy, Wash. The mother took the child and got neighbors to call police.
Prosecutors say the child's core temperature fell to 84 degrees in the 10-degree freezer. She also had a broken arm and leg and a head injury.
The station reports Deutsch's tentative trial date was set for July 15.