Merrill’s charge came after a 16-month-old child was taken to the hospital Feb. 4 with skull fractures, a brain bleed, and significant bruising, according to Dayton Police Lt. Eric Sheldon.
Medical staff said that the injuries were consistent with abuse, the lieutenant said.
Detectives interviewed the child’s mother and her boyfriend, Merrill, according to an affidavit filed in Dayton Municipal Court.
During the interview, Merrill reportedly admitted there were “multiple incidents where the child was injured including throwing the child into the wooden frame of a crib,” the affidavit said.
Merrill also reportedly said he caused some of the child’s current bruising from smacking him, court documents said.
He is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 17, and at the time of writing was booked in the Montgomery County Jail.
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