Emily Duran, 27, has been arrested and charged after authorities say a 7-month-old boy in her care suffered serious, non-accidental injuries including a brain bleed.
According to the Fort Wayne Police Department and court records obtained by local outlet WPTA, the child's parents left the infant with Duran at about 6:50 a.m. on Dec. 11. They returned just after 5:00 p.m. and said Duran had left quickly; one parent noticed bruising on the baby's face.
Allen County Sheriff's DepartmentEmily Duran
After the parents reported the injuries, Duran reportedly texted one parent saying the child had fallen. The parents recorded a subsequent phone call in which Duran allegedly said the baby fell off a bench at a park, per court documents and local reporting.
Police reviewed photographs that showed what investigators described as "deep purple bruising" on both sides of the infant's face extending from the jaw to the hairline. At the hospital, a trauma surgeon reported the child had a brain bleed, and another doctor concluded the injuries were "inflicted" and "non-accidental." One physician told investigators, "There is no explanation other than child abuse," according to WPTA.
Google MapsThe 100 block of W. Superior Street in Fort Wayne, where police say the incident took place.
Authorities interviewed Duran on Dec. 19. Court records allege that during the interview she admitted to slapping the baby on one side of his face and backhanding the other, saying she had "slapped him as hard as you would slap an adult." Duran was arrested the same day and booked into the Allen County Jail.
Court filings charge Duran with felony neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and battery causing serious bodily injury to a person under 14 years old. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 12, according to the charging documents.
Sources: Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County court records, WPTA (local reporting).
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. The hotline is toll-free, confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
