A Florida man was arrested this week after he admitted to abusing a 1-year-old boy and his mother, who he said failed as a mother.
An affidavit said the toddler was brought to Palm West Hospital on Tuesday, unable to raise his arm and with a fever, WPEC reported. The boy was also crying uncontrollably.
Hospital personnel found the child had a fractured collar bone and bruising to his neck and cheeks.
His mother, whose name is redacted from the affidavit, told detectives that Neftali Lopez, 28, frequently hurt the child and her. According to the affidavit, he would grab the boy by the arm and throw him on the bed, then squeeze his cheeks and bit him.
For the past two months, she said, he had been beating her as well. She told investigators that she was afraid to report it, and that Lopez told her she was a failure as a parent and he was trying to show her how to be effective.
When deputies interviewed Lopez, he admitted to throwing the toddler onto the bed, squeezing his cheeks, and biting him. He also told the detectives that the boy’s mother was a horrible failure.
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It’s not clear if Lopez and the mother are married or if Lopez is the father of the child.
Lopez was arrested around early Wednesday morning and charged with felony aggravated child abuse and misdemeanor domestic battery.
His bond was set at $78,000, and he remains in the Palm Beach County Jail as of Friday afternoon. He remained in jail on Saturday evening.
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[Featured image: Neftali Lopez/Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
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