A 17-year-old Rock Valley juvenile has been arrested, accused of causing a traumatic brain injury in a child under the age of one.
Officers state that the 17-year-old “engaged in a course of conduct including three or more acts of child endangerment within a 12-month period against a child under one year of age.” The officer says the 17-year-old “knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health or safety and/or willfully deprived the child of necessary health care that substantially harmed the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health.” He alleges that the act caused a brain injury resulting in the child needing emergency brain surgery. In addition, the 17-year-old allegedly dropped the child on the head, and on another occasion left the child on a piece of furniture from which the child fell and began seizing. Officers say the 17-year-old did not tell EMTs that the child had fallen before beginning to seize.
The juvenile was charged with three counts of child endangerment – bodily injury; one count of child endangerment – serious injury; and one count of child endangerment – multiple acts; all felonies. If convicted, a defendant in Iowa could face up to 40 years in prison for all the charges.
Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle says the law requires forcible felonies allegedly committed by those 16 and older to be filed in adult court. The 17-year-old faces a preliminary hearing on the charges on Tuesday, October 10th.
Bond was set at $100,000.
Courtesy of Media Partner KIWA
