A man accused of breaking the arm of a 3-year-old boy in his care pleaded guilty to assault charges Thursday, June 14.
Jeremy Dees, 25, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, third-degree assault of a child and two counts of third-degree assault in connection with the boy's injuries.
The boy was transferred to Seattle Children's hospital from St. Joseph hospital in October 2011 for treatment of a broken arm. Dees had claimed that the boy had broken his arm in a fall from his SUV, but doctors at Seattle Children's said the break wasn't consistent with a fall, according to court documents. Doctors said the break likely was caused by grabbing and twisting, commonly associated with child abuse.
A further exam revealed that the boy had significant facial and body bruising not associated with normal childhood falls, as well as elevated liver enzymes associated with direct impact injuries to the liver.
Dees was dating the boy's mother and had been taking care of him for about six months while she worked full time. The boy's mother said she noticed the bruising but thought that it was from the boy falling and bruising easily, according to the documents.
Witnesses at the couple's apartment complex said they noticed bruising on the boy over the previous five or six months, and one neighbor took pictures of bruising in the shape of finger marks on both sides of the child's face. When concerned neighbors would ask about the bruises, they were told that the boy falls a lot, runs into things and might be anemic.
When interviewed by a detective, Dees said that he had been hitting the boy in the face and head one or two times per week for several months as a response to the child's outbursts, according to court documents. He admitted that the boy didn't fall out of his car and that he thought he broke the boy's arm when he forcefully dragged him from the SUV while the boy was crying. Dees said he couldn't account for the liver injuries or bumps, depressions and cuts that hospital staff had seen on the back of the boy's head.
Dees has not yet been sentenced.
Reach ZOE FRALEY at zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com or call 756-2803.
