A 21-year-old mother was arrested and accused of injuring her 6-month-old son and leaving him hospitalized with multiple brain hemorrhages, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Paola Yanis Perez faces two counts of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm.
The abuse took place between Sept. 30 and Monday at a Clearwater home, deputies said. The name of the child was not released.
The investigation started when the baby was admitted to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. A family friend saw the child vomiting, crying and shaking while asleep. The child had suffered a seizure, according to the arrest report,
Doctors determined that the boy had suffered several brain bleeds, deputies said. The brain injuries were at different stages of healing, which deputies said indicated the child had been injured numerous times. There was also indications of a fresh hemorrhage.
Detectives questioned Perez, the child’s father, Guillermo Jose Torres, 25, and other witnesses. They determined that the mother’s statements were inconsistent.
The agency said Perez told detectives what happened. She said that on at least two occasions she grew so frustrated with the child that she grabbed him forcefully without supporting his head, causing his head to jerk back and forth multiple times.
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