Father charged with abusing infant to 'near death': police

A 3-month-old baby was described as “near death” from several injuries when police talked to a doctor in December.

The boy had bruises on his sides and bleeding in his brain. And those were on top of an older brain hemorrhage, a retinal hemorrhage and two fractured ribs, according to Newberry Township Police.

An investigation led police to charge the father, Stephon Colon III, in a child abuse case where he allegedly admitted to pressing a fist on the boy in a way that “could have even hurt a grown man,” charging documents show.

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Colon, 25, of Fairview Township, faces felony counts of aggravated assault and child endangerment along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment in the case that was filed last month.

Police were called to Hershey Medical Center the morning of Dec. 9 while the baby was at the hospital, injured, according to the criminal complaint in the case.

After talking to a doctor, police interviewed Colon, and they allege he admitted he hurt the boy the day before.

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Charging documents show Colon told police he forgot he was holding his son and dropped him as he stood up from a couch around 1:30 p.m., Dec. 8, at a home where they apparently lived at the time along the 600 block of Salem Road in Newberry Township.

The baby stopped breathing, and Colon allegedly told police he tried to wake him up by pressing on his chest, jabbing his side, pinching him and shaking his head. He eventually started breathing again, and Colon went out to smoke a cigarette, charging documents show.

Nine hours later, around 10:30 p.m., the child started vomiting and having seizures, so Colon allegedly said he and his girlfriend decided to take him to the hospital.

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Police said Colon didn’t tell the girlfriend or doctors what had happened to the baby earlier in the day.

During a second interview a few days later, which police noted was at Colon’s request, he allegedly told investigators about another incident that occurred in November.

He said, according to charging documents, the baby and another child were fussing, and he couldn’t get the infant to stop crying. So, he “just snapped” and was “full of anger,” charging documents state.

Colon allegedly told police his “best solution” was to put a fist on the baby’s chest. As his son squirmed, Colon allegedly said he used his other hand to hold his head down.

He allegedly told police he put so much pressure on the boy that “I think I could have even hurt a grown man by doing that,” the complaint shows.

The charges were filed nearly three weeks later.

Colon is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in his case before District Court Judge Scott Gross on Monday, Feb. 13, court documents show.

— Reach Aimee Ambrose at aambrose@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @aimee_TYD.