A Washington County man is facing multiple charges, including criminal homicide and aggravated assault in connection with the death of his two-month-old son last month.
Charges were announced against 36-year-old Jordan Clarke on Tuesday.
Clarke Claimed His Foot Got Caught in Grocery Bag
According to a criminal complaint, Peters Township police arrived at a home along Pleasantview Drive in McMurray on May 23 after receiving reports of an infant not breathing. Officers found the two-month-old baby boy lying unresponsive on the floor in the living room.
The complaint said Clarke told officers he had been carrying the child and was attempting to grab a baby bottle when his foot got caught in a grocery bag. He said he then fell with the baby in his hands, landing on top of the infant.
Clarke's father and sister, who live in the same home, said they did not see him fall on the baby, according to the criminal complaint.The child was transported via helicopter to UPMC Children's Hospital where he died the next day.
Child Suffered Injuries Consistent with Physical Abuse
The doctor told investigators that the baby's injuries were "gravely concerning for physical abuse," as reported by CBS News. "This constellation of injuries is not consistent with the provided history that this child's father fell onto him from a standing height," the report from the doctor said.
The baby was suffering from injuries to both sides of his brain, hemorrhages in both eyes and possible fractures in both legs, the criminal complaint said. Clarke is currently in custody at the Washington County Jail without bail. According to court records, Clark is a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to two separate burglaries and felony theft.
"Any crime against a child is heinous, obviously. This baby was two months old and in the hands of his father," Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said. "The child suffered severe head injuries, bilateral subdural hematomas. The child died as a result of the injuries, and just generally, based upon medical evidence, those types of injuries do not result from a fall."
