MESA, AZ — A Mesa father was arrested after shaking his infant daughter, causing severe injuries.
Mesa police report that on January 10, they were called to Cardon Children's Hospital after being informed that a 2-month-old baby girl was brought in with brain trauma.
Doctors informed police that the girl had "blood outside her brain" on both sides and retinal bleeding.
After initially denying any wrongdoing, the baby's father, Lucas Alexander Stepp, 38, broke down and cried, saying, "I am going to hell because I hurt my baby."
Stepp explained to the police that he got frustrated because the girl would not stop crying, and he shook her for about 20 seconds.
Stepp has been charged with child abuse and is scheduled to be arraigned on February 4.
If you suspect a child is being abused, the Arizona Department of Child Services has resources available to report the issue to a social worker. You can call the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445), and will be asked for information about the child, as well as the nature of your concerns. You can also get more information from DCS about reporting abuse or neglect online.
