Kennesaw man charged with child cruelty
Dec. 23—A Kennesaw man was arrested and charged with two felonies, cruelty to children and aggravated battery, after police say his infant daughter was injured in his care, according to a warrant.
Hitesh Patel, 40, was charged last week by the Acworth Police Department for the incident, which occurred on the afternoon of Nov. 1. According to the warrant, Patel was left to take care of his three-month-old daughter while his wife left for 20-30 minutes. The baby was unhurt when the wife left.
When the wife returned, the baby was "cold to the touch, temperature was low, with her eyes and tongue rolled back," the warrant says.
The baby was taken to the hospital, where it received an MRI and a skeletal survey, according to the warrant. The baby had sustained brain and spine injuries that caused hemorrhaging in her brain and a skull fracture. She also had sustained fractures to her left radius (forearm), tibia (shinbone) and fibula (calf bone).
The doctor said the injuries were consistent with an acceleration/deceleration and rotational forces on the head, as well as whiplash on the neck and spine, the warrant says.
"While under the father's care, he had no explanation for these injuries, placing the burden on law enforcement to discover the cause," the warrant says. "Neither parent mentions any trauma to the baby such as a car accident or other event. The timeline of injury aligns with when said accused would have been caring for the baby."
Patel told police he had held the baby for five to ten minutes and that she fell asleep without incident, per the warrant.
Police charged Patel on Dec. 14, and he was booked into the Cobb County jail that night, jail records show. He was released the next day on $25,000 bond.
