Anthony Hester Accused Of Causing Severe Brain Injuries To His 7MO Son Requiring Surgery

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According to investigators, Anthony Lamar Hester, 31, is accused of willfully torturing and abusing his 7-month-old son, causing severe bodily harm. The child was taken to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where doctors identified brain bleeding and performed surgery.

Medical experts later determined the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma. Records showed no acute bleeding days earlier, suggesting the injuries occurred within a narrow timeframe, according to an arrest affidavit.

Two children in the home told investigators they witnessed Hester shaking the infant on multiple occasions. One child demonstrated the motion, describing forceful shaking while the baby cried.

One child told investigators Hester would become angry when the baby cried, yelling phrases such as "why are you crying" and "boys don’t cry," while shaking him.

A medical reviewer concluded the injuries were consistent with "acceleration-deceleration forces," often associated with violent shaking.

Hester and the child’s mother told investigators the child’s symptoms began after a minor incident in which the baby bumped his head on a bed frame. They said vomiting followed in the days after.

The child's mother denied any physical abuse in the home and said she did not believe Hester would harm the children.

Authorities say the case began in mid-February when the infant began vomiting and showing signs of distress. The child was initially treated and released from a hospital, but symptoms worsened over the following days.

On Feb. 20, investigators were called after the child was admitted to a hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery for brain bleeding. Detectives then conducted multiple interviews with family members and children in the home.

A later medical review concluded the injuries were consistent with abuse.

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Man accused of abusing infant as investigators cite shaking, brain injuries

Authorities say a Florida man is accused of abusing a 7-month-old infant, leaving the child with serious brain injuries that required emergency surgery.

www.fox35orlando.com