A six-month-old baby boy suffered horrific injuries, including a skull fracture, after a Middletown man admitted to throwing the baby into a playpen during a drunken rage on July 20, police said.
Stephen M. Lehman Jr., 26, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to court documents, officers responded to the Hershey Medical Center on Sunday after a baby was brought to the emergency room with a fractured skull and cuts to his face.
The incident happened at the Nelson Manor Trailer Park located along the 100 block of Lake Drive in Lower Swatara Township around 1:47 a.m.
Lehman initially told investigators that he accidentally fell while holding the baby in his arms, court documents state. He later admitted to lying to police about what happened.
Lehman confessed that he had been out drinking earlier and became angry when he awoke to a crying baby, according to court documents. He told investigators that he tried to console the crying infant–but when that didn’t work he slammed the child back into the playpen.
When he later checked on the infant–the baby was covered in blood and crying even louder.
Lehman and the child’s mother then drove the baby to the hospital.
Court documents state, Lehman said he knew what he did was wrong and blamed it on alcohol and his anger problems.
He was arrested and taken to Dauphin County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18.