Man Charged In Alleged Shaken Baby Syndrome Case Involving Infant In Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County (KDKA) -- An infant is in UPMC Children's Hospital, and doctors say he is the victim of shaken baby syndrome.
The 3-month-old boy was in the Huntingdon Village Apartments on Monday when his mother went to work.
The infant was alone with his father, 19-year-old Taylor Joseph Shipley.
The little boy had been sick for a couple of days, and Shipley put him in a bassinette with a bottle.
The baby started crying and choking, so Shipley called 911.
"He was the one who initiated the phone call about the child being ill, appearing blue," trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police said.
The baby was flown to the hospital and described as limp and blue in the helicopter.
At the hospital, doctors found bleeding on the brain, three fractured ribs, bruising on the abdomen and retinal hemorrhage, all consistent with physical abuse and shaken baby syndrome.
Dr. Adelaide Eichman of Children's Hospital told the police, according to the affidavit that "...there is no other way the victim could have sustained these injuries other than being physically shaken by someone."
The affidavis said Shipley told the police he performed CPR on the baby, which is how his son sustained the bruises. He also said the brain bleeding came from him running down the stairs when the ambulance arrived.
When police went to arrest Shipley, he jumped out of a second-story window. He was caught a short time later in New Stanton.
Shipley faces two counts of aggravated assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
The doctors told police the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.
The mother is not facing any charges.
