Bryan Morales Gracia (Altoona Police Dept.)
A 34-year-old man in Pennsylvania is accused of beating an 18-month-old child and killing a small dog when he allegedly threw the child with such force that he landed on top of the family’s Chihuahua, killing the animal.
Bryan Morales Gracia was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count each of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, among other crimes, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Altoona Police Department, officers at about 10:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, responded to the Evergreen Manors apartment complex regarding an adult male allegedly assaulting a small child. The apartments are about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh.
The individual who called 911 told police that they had seen through a window looking into the home a man physically abusing the toddler.
“A witness to the incident had parked their vehicle at the complex facing the bedroom window of the apartment where they could obviously observe the interior of the bedroom due to the blinds being pulled up,” police wrote in the news release. “At that time, the witness observed the adult, later identified as Bryan Morales Gracia holding the child and repeatedly striking it before then throwing the child into a Pack-n-Play.”
The victim of the alleged assault was not identified by authorities.
Upon arriving at the apartment complex, first responders said they were able to locate the toddler, noting that the child “appeared with injury.” Specifically, police said the victim suffered “red marks on its cheeks, back, and forehead as well as what also appeared to be two partial fingerprint marks on its forehead.” Emergency medical services personnel transported the toddler to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Altoona for treatment.
Police at the scene also said that they found a dead Chihuahua inside the apartment where the child had allegedly been assaulted, and discovered that the animal died as a result of the brutal attack on the toddler.
“It was determined that the child and Chihuahua are often placed into the Pack-n-Play together and were on this night,” police wrote. “During this incident, the child was thrown into the Pack-n-Play with such force that it fatally wounded the Chihuahua.”
According to a report from the Altoona Mirror, a security guard on duty that evening told police that after the attack, Gracia and the child’s mother came outside and sat on the sidewalk while the baby could be heard crying in the house. Gracia was reportedly holding the deceased Chihuahua in his arms.
In an interview with police at the residence, Gracia reportedly said that he struck the toddler because the child was hitting the dog. He continued, claiming that when he placed the child in the Pack-n-Play with the dog — which they do regularly — he must have accidentally placed the toddler on top of the dog.
Additionally, police noted that Gracia continued holding the lifeless dog in his arms throughout his discussion with police.
Gracia was transported to Blair County Prison and held in lieu of $25,000 bond. He is currently scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 5, records show.
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