YORK, Pa. — York City Police have charged a man with aggravated assault of a child and related offenses following an investigation of an alleged incident at a city hotel in 2022.
Samuel Jamal Parker, 29, of York, was arraigned on the charges on April 5, court records show. He was arrested following an investigation of allegations made by a witness on Oct. 23, 2022.
The witness told police they saw Parker strike the victim, a 3-year-old child, in the room of a hotel on the 100 block of North George Street. The victim had visible red marks on the right side of her face and was bleeding, the witness reported.
After assaulting the victim, Parker allegedly fled from the hotel room, the witness said.
The victim's mother was also present when Parker struck the child, the witness reported.
Police interviewed the child's mother, who admitted she was there when the alleged assault occurred. She said the victim had been "acting up" and refused to eat her dinner prior to the incident.
The child's mother said she contacted Parker, who was at work. He allegedly told her he would deal with the child when he got back.
When Parker returned, the child's mother said she held the victim on the bed while Parker struck her. She said he intended to strike the child's buttocks, but the child wriggled at the last moment and Parker wound up hitting her face instead.
The child's mother could provide no explanation as to how that could be possible, according to police.
Neither she nor Parker sought medical attention for the victim after the incident, the child's mother reported.
In addition to aggravated assault of a child, Parker is charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
