FREDERICK, MARYLAND: A 34-year-old man from Frederick, Keith Patrick Lewis, has been arrested by on charges of first and second degree child abuse. The arrest came after his six-week-old daughter sustained serious injuries. The infant was initially taken to Frederick Health Hospital but was later transferred to Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC.
According to the authorities, the baby sustained multiple bone fractures among other "significant" injuries. Frederick City Police Department confirmed that Lewis was the child's father, as reported to Fox News Digital.
Who is Keith Patrick Lewis?
Police investigated and arrested Lewis based on a tip-off from child protective services officials. After responding to the children's hospital in DC, the police conducted a two-day investigation and found sufficient evidence to apprehend the suspect for alleged child abuse.
According to a press release from the Frederick City Police Department, they said, "Over the next few days, FPD detectives conducted numerous interviews and examined the residence where the incident was suspected of occurring. Based upon the investigation and the expert opinion of the child’s doctors at the hospital, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Keith Patrick Lewis."
Following his arrest, Lewis was taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center, where he was initially held without bond throughout the weekend. However, after a hearing on July 24, he was granted a $10,000 bond.
Keith Patrick Lewis refutes abuse claims
On July 25, Lewis' attorney, Justin Lake, stated they were focussing on ensuring a fair trial for his client and that they would continue to cooperate with the authorities to address the matter properly and refrained from making further comments at this stage. During an interview with Detective Rebecca Skelly, as per the charging documents, Lewis alleged that while changing the infant's diaper that morning, he held the boy still with his hands, and a popping sound was heard as the infant resisted.
Lewis informed the police that on July 5, the baby fell off the bed in his parents' room when he laid him down and turned around to put his contact lens in. He immediately picked up the baby, and the crying subsided after a couple of bounces.
In a subsequent interview with the police, another woman who resided with the family shared her account of what she heard. She reportedly said that she heard the baby crying upstairs, followed by a loud thud and then harder crying that suddenly stopped. She asked Lewis through the closed door if he dropped the baby, and he allegedly responded that he dropped his mug, as stated in the charging documents.