AUBURNDALE, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office arrested a 20-year-old accused of shaking a 2-month-old baby until they suffered from head injuries.
According to a news release from the agency, Damian Trafton of Auburndale was taken into custody on Friday and charged with aggravated child abuse. The 20-year-old reportedly admitted to shaking the baby until "the infant suffered from significant head injuries."
The investigation was launched back on Dec. 14 when the sheriff's office was contacted by Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center ER staff about a baby that was hurt.
At first glance, there was slight bruising above one of the baby's eyes. However, after conducting an exam and X-ray, hemorrhages to the brain, a slight skull fracture and a .5 cm midline shift of the brain were revealed.
Even with all of the injuries, the medical staff said the baby should make a full recovery.
During an interview with Trafton, he first told authorities that the baby was "acting fussy and would not stop crying" so he put the baby in a bouncy seat. When that didn't work to soothe the baby, he reportedly tried to bounce the bouncy seat at a harder pace.
This caused the baby's head to move side-to-side, deputies said.
"During subsequent interviews, Trafton admitted that he had actually placed the baby’s on its back and lifted its legs to try to ease gas pain, which didn’t appear to be working," the sheriff's office said in the release.
At some point, the 20-year-old became "increasingly frustrated with the baby" and allegedly started to move their legs back and forth aggressively for about two to three minutes.
This movement caused the baby's breathing to become abnormal, deputies said. Trafton called the mother of the child who ended up contacting emergency services.
“There are so many resources out there for parents and caregivers to help them cope with a newborn or child – but the easiest step to take when you get upset or frustrated with a baby, is to place them somewhere safe and walk away for a few minutes until you are calm enough to calm the baby," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "Babies are our most innocent and defenseless victims and it is everyone’s responsibility to keep them healthy and safe.”
Trafton has a criminal history including prior arrests for vehicle burglary, driving with a suspended license and probation violation.
