Mar. 16—PERU — A Peru man is under arrest after police say he caused his 4-month-old son to suffer fractured ribs, hemorrhaging in his left eye and bruising to his head.
Steven Timm, 29, is facing two charges of domestic battery with serious bodily injury to a person under 14 years of age, both Level 3 felonies, and a single charge each of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious injury, a level 3 felony, and domestic battery with bodily injury to a person under 14 years of age, a level 5 felony, for his alleged connection to the case, according to online court records.
A probable cause filed earlier this week stated the investigation began in January, when law enforcement was called to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis in reference to a possible child abuse case.
When first questioned by law enforcement at the hospital, per the affidavit, Timm reportedly denied the alleged physical abuse.
However, investigators reportedly interviewed Timm a second time at the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, per court records.
It was during that interview Timm said he reportedly “lost control” with his son on three separate occasions, admitting those occasions were likely when the injuries occurred.
The first incident allegedly occurred between Christmas and New Year’s Day last year, Timm told police, when the infant reportedly began “crying and would not stop.”
Timm told investigators that he reportedly grabbed the boy out of ababy swing and squeezed him “too hard” in the center portion of the boy’s body.
Then, two weeks later, according to Timm, the infant was allegedly crying, reportedly causing Timm to once again squeeze the boy in the center portion of his body.
Timm told investigators he believes it was during that particular incident the boy’s ribs became fractured, according to his interview as highlighted in the affidavit.
Timm also stated the third alleged incident occurred just a few days before his January interview with police.
Timm told investigators the 4-month-old was reportedly crying again, which caused Timm to allegedly squeeze the infant’s head and face, causing bruising.
Timm added all of those incidents occurred at the family’s residence in Miami County.
Timm is being held at the Miami County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond, and his initial hearing is pending.