‘Overwhelmed’ dad causes 2-month-old to have 3 brain bleeds, Illinois cops say

A father who said he was “overstimulated and overwhelmed” while caring for his baby caused severe injuries to the 2-month-old child, Illinois authorities say.

The 24-year-old dad was charged with aggravated battery after his baby was taken to a hospital with three brain bleeds, an arm fracture and bruising, the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a June 17 news release.

McClatchy News is not identifying the father to protect the identity of the child.

On June 2, the father was alone with the baby while the child’s mother was at work, authorities said. He called the mother to say the baby “was crying uncontrollably and would not calm down,” and she came home to find her child “screaming in a way she had never heard before.”

When the mother changed the baby’s diaper, she discovered bruising that she later said was not there the previous two days, the state’s attorney said.

The father was interviewed by Peoria officers, and he said he became “overstimulated and overwhelmed” as he watched the baby by himself, according to the news release.

“He mentioned that the baby fell and that he had grabbed the baby’s arm,” officials said. “Additionally, (the dad) reported that the baby might have hit something and that he may have handled the baby too roughly.”

A doctor, however, said the baby’s injuries were the result of child abuse and were not accidental, according to the state’s attorney.

The father, who was arrested June 13, was ordered to stay in jail as he awaits trial, WEEK reported. He is scheduled for a July 10 arraignment.

This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM with the headline "‘Overwhelmed’ dad causes 2-month-old to have 3 brain bleeds, Illinois cops say."