Inset: Vincent Marino (Kingston Police Department). Background: The area in Pennsylvania where Marino allegedly abused his newborn son (Google Maps).
A 31-year-old father in Pennsylvania is accused of severely abusing his newborn son, allegedly breaking the infant’s arm, both legs, and several ribs, telling authorities that he may have been “too rough” with the baby.
Authorities arrested and charged Vincent Marino with three felony counts of endangering the welfare of children, court records show.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The investigation into Marino began May 18 when a caseworker with the Luzerne County Department of Children, Youth and Families contacted the Luzerne Police Department to report a child with a series of suspicious injuries, including multiple broken bones, the Times Leader reported. The initial call to the caseworker came from a doctor who treated the child at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
The infant’s injuries included fractures to his arm, both legs, and ribs, according to court records cited by Scranton CBS affiliate WYOU. Doctors had previously treated the baby for excessive bruising.
A physician at Geisinger specializing in child abuse cases examined the boy and determined the injuries were “non-accidental,” reportedly telling detectives, “There is no question in my mind that this child was abused.”
When investigators questioned Marino about the cause of the baby’s injuries, he initially told the county caseworker that he dropped the baby when a pet cat jumped on him [Marino] and he heard a “snap,” The Citizens’ Voice reported. However, authorities said the father’s explanation did not account for the extent of his son’s injuries.
As the questioning continued, Marino allegedly conceded to authorities that he “may have been too rough with him,” according to WYOU.
Investigators said Marino lived with the baby’s biological mother and his own mother, both of whom allegedly expressed concerns about the way he handled the child, according to a report from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Fox affiliate WOLF.
Marino’s mother reportedly told investigators that she had previously warned her son about handling the infant, saying, “The baby is not a toy. He’s fragile.”
Police allege Marino repeatedly engaged in “unsafe and excessively rough handling” of the child after the boy was hospitalized.
Marino appeared for his arraignment before Luzerne County Magisterial District Judge Joshua R. Moses, who set his bond at $1 million. The defendant is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing Sept. 15.
The post Dad who broke newborn’s arm and both legs said he ‘may have been too rough’ with baby: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
