PHOENIX — Police say a Phoenix dad is facing multiple counts of child abuse after admitting to bending his 1-month-old child backwards, causing multiple injuries.
Phoenix police report that on Friday morning, they responded to Phoenix Children's hospital when an infant was brought in with bleeding to her mouth.
The girl's father, 22-year-old Adan Flores, reportedly told officials that he accidentally sat on the child.
According to court records, doctors found the infant to have "multiple new and healing fractured ribs, a lacerated liver, fractured legs, bleeding inside the roof of her mouth and hemorrhaging on the eyes."
Police say Flores later admitted to placing the girl on her knees and bending her backward. He also allegedly squeezed her to quiet the child. Police say he also admitted to "aggressively inserting a thermometer into the victim's mouth" and twisting her legs.
Flores allegedly said that he did this while the girl's mother was in the shower. He reportedly hesitated to bring the girl to the hospital for fear of the Arizona Department of Child Services and the girl's mother.
He is being held on a $100,000 bond on six counts of child abuse.
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.
