Read more: Local, Crime, Child Abuse, Pueblo Father Arrested for Child Abuse,Kurt Keetch, Chelsie Keetch, Kurt Keetch Arrested, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Two Month Old Abused, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, Deputies Investigating Child Abuse Case, Two Month Old Suffered Severe Brain Injuries, Pueblo
PUEBLO, COLO. -- A young father is behind bars after he is arrested for allegedly abusing his 2-month-old son.
Kurt Keetch of Pueblo West was arrested and charged last week. Authorities began investigating the 19-year-old after he and his 20-year-old wife Chelsie brought his unresponsive son to Parkview Hospital May 7.
According to Keetch's arrest affidavit the child had serious brain injuries that doctors said were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Doctors said the baby wasn't stable enough to transport him to Denver, so they performed an emergency surgery to reduce swelling in his brain.
"The injuries were diagnosed by the doctors, and they say that the injuries that this young man has, the brain injury is definitely not accidental, so therefore we look at whose care he's been in," Charlene Graham, Bureau Chief of Law Enforcement for the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, said.
Medical personnel also reported several bruises on the child in various stages of healing. Both Kurt and Chelsie denied knowing about the bruising.
"These are extremely difficult, they take a toll on everyone involved including all the detectives and the people who work on it. Our job as we say is to serve and protect, and obviously in this case we were unable to protect that child," Graham said.
The documents said Chelsie told authorities Kurt has an anger problem but said he controls it.
Kurt told deputies when he or Chelsie become frustrated with the child they place him in a car seat in the back room of their house and cover him with a blanket until he stops crying.
Kurt said on that day he went back to check on the child and discovered he wasn't breathing.
Kurt took the child into the other room where his mother helped to revive him and then told them they needed to go to the hospital.
The documents said Kurt told authorities the child had been acting fine earlier in the day but had struck his head on the carrying arm of his car seat. However he told them he didn't think that could have caused the child's injuries.
Doctors said the child suffered from an acute subdural hematoma that had occurred within hours of surgery and that it was likely caused by trauma.
Kurt's mother said her son is innocent.
She said the timelines do not match up, and the only reason he is being charged is because he was the last one with the child.
She added the incident has been traumatic for everyone involved and said her grandson is recovering.
She also said Chelsie said she didn't want her son anymore, but Kurt remains concerned about the child.
The child is being treated at the Children's Hospital in Denver and is now in the custody of the Department of Social Services.
Kurt is being held on a $200,000 bond.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, but at this point they don't believe anyone else was involved.
"We let the evidence lead us where it does, and so we're gonna continue on that track until we've exhausted all information," Graham said.
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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child abuse
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