Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Dad accused of abusing, seriously injuring 4-month-old son (Marrero, Louisiana)

Dad is identified as CRAIG GIROD. Studies show that fathers represent the majority of perpetrators when it comes to violently shaking infants.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/11/father_accused_of_abusing_seri.html

Marrero father accused of abusing, seriously injuring 4-month-old son

Craig Girod, of Marrero, was booked with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile. He is accused of injuring his 4-month-old son.

(JPSO) Michelle Hunter, NOLA.com | The Times-on November 12, 2013 at 5:23 PM, updated November 12, 2013 at 5:57 PM

A 4-month-old boy is in intensive care with shaken baby syndrome, an injury authorities say he received at the hands of his father. Craig Girod, 31, of Marrero, was booked with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrest records.

It's not clear when Girod and the boy's mother took him to a local hospital for treatment. But doctors determined the baby was suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Shaken baby syndrome occurs when someone violently shakes a child by the shoulders, legs or arms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sheriff's detectives determined the boy's parents were the only caregivers when the injuries occurred. The baby's mother told investigators she left her son with Girod at their residence for several hours, an arrest report said.

The child was fine when she left home. But when she returned, her son was foaming at the mouth, his eyes were rolling and he was experiencing seizures, the report said.

Girod gave detectives several inconsistent statements. He said he didn't know how the injuries occurred but was certain the boy's mother did not cause them, the arrest report said.

Detectives obtained a warrant for Girod's arrest and booked him with the juvenile cruelty charge on Nov. 8. Girod, of 5852 N. Oak Drive, Marrero, was still being held Tuesday (Nov. 12) at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Bond on the cruelty charge was set at $200,000. But Girod was being held without bond on two counts of parole violation. He was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2010 to possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and possession of suboxone with the intent to distribute.