He dropped his 3-month-old, but didn’t tell medical staff, cops say

A 24-year-old man is in jail after failing to report a severe head injury that his 3-month-old child received to medical staff, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

On Oct. 20, Joseph Lusardi called 911 to report that his infant son was suffering from “seizure-like” symptoms. He brought the child to the hospital but didn’t tell doctors the whole story, deputies say.

The child was released the next day after being treated for what hospital personnel thought to be acid reflux.

But the child wound up with similar symptoms the next day, the child’s mother said. She brought him back to the hospital because he was vomiting and not eating normally.

Only after the mother brought her child back to the hospital did Lusardi admit to her that the baby had fallen off a table while strapped into a car seat on the day he called 911. She updated medical staff immediately, who then ordered a CT scan.

The test revealed that the newborn suffered a fractured skull and hemorrhaging on the brain. He was transferred to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for further treatment and remains in their care.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Lusardi didn’t tell medical staff what actually happened to his child because “he was scared.”

Lusardi was arrested on Tuesday and remains in the Pinellas County Jail. He is charged with one count of child neglect and is held without bond.

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 9:15 AM with the headline "He dropped his 3-month-old, but didn’t tell medical staff, cops say."