JA – A 31-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested after a medical examination revealed an infant in his care had suffered 25 bone fractures, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Anthony Hildreth was booked into the Duval County jail on June 30 just before 10:30 p.m. He faces one count of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.
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Infant taken to hospital with breathing issues
The incident began in the early morning hours of June 30, when police say Hildreth and a witness brought an infant to Baptist South hospital at approximately 3 a.m. due to breathing concerns.
Medical staff at Baptist South conducted an X-ray of the child, which revealed two fractured ribs, according to the report. The infant was then transported to Wolfson Children’s Hospital for further evaluation.
Police say a skeletal survey performed at Wolfson Children’s Hospital revealed the infant had sustained 24 rib fractures and one fracture to the right femur near the knee — a total of 25 fractures.
A Physician’s Assistant told investigators the rib fractures were likely caused by the child being squeezed with great force, as the fractures were bilateral.
Suspect described caregiving techniques to investigators
JSO investigators were initially dispatched to Wolfson Children’s Hospital to assist the Department of Children and Families with the investigation.
According to the arrest report, Hildreth told investigators he had taken over sole care of the infant at approximately 9:30 p.m. on June 29. He said the child was gassy and that he used several techniques to provide relief, including squeezing the child’s ribs with increasing pressure until the child passed gas, as well as “bicycle kicks” — pushing the infant’s legs toward its chest.
According to police, Hildreth told investigators he became frustrated when he was unable to soothe the infant. He also acknowledged that the child’s breathing appeared different after he applied pressure to the ribs.
Regarding the femur fracture, Hildreth told investigators he was unsure how it occurred, but said the child’s leg had gotten stuck in a swaddling device and that he pulled harder on the device without realizing it.
According to court documents included in the report, the judge set bond at $50,003 and placed Hildreth on home detention with electronic monitoring.
News4JAX is still working to obtain his booking photo.