"Infant John Doe" - 2 yo - Daytona Beach FL

Police: Man Threw Toddler Against Wall

Boy Suffered Bruising, Brain Bleeding
3:00 pm EST March 5, 2010

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A man was charged with aggravated child abuse after his girlfriend's son
had to be airlifted to the hospital with brain bleeding.

Benjamin Ahr called 911 on Wednesday and told authorities the 2-year-old boy
appeared to have had a seizure, Daytona Beach police said.

The boy was taken to Halifax Medical Center, where medical personnel contacted
police due to the boy's injuries. The boy had a fractured skull, brain
bleeding and multiple bruises and lacerations.

Ahr told police he had put the boy and his older brother to bed several times, but they
kept roughhousing and jumping between beds. He said just as he was
about to fall asleep, they woke him again with a loud thud, and he saw
the youngest boy having what appeared to be a seizure.

Police said Ahr attributed the boy's bruising to rough play with his brother.

Police interviewed the older brother Thursday. He told investigators the boys
began playing with toys and being loud after Ahr put them to sleep. The
older boy said after Ahr came in the room several times to quiet them,
Ahr spanked the younger boy and picked him up over his head and threw
the boy against the wall. The boy said Ahr had hurt him as well.

Ahr denied hitting or touching either boy.

The injured boy was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando
and is currently on a breathing machine, but has regained
consciousness, police said.

The boy's mother was at work at the time of the incident.