TEXARKANA, Texas - A 24-year-old Texarkana father has been arrested after his 2-month-old son suffered a skull fracture and other injuries that doctors described as non-accidental and life-threatening, police said.
Cedric Kelley Jr. was arrested Monday afternoon on a charge of injury to a child with serious bodily injury following an investigation by the Texarkana Police Department.
The investigation began Thursday night when Detective Casey Schmidt was contacted by Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. The infant had been transferred there from Texarkana for a higher level of medical care.
According to police, doctors determined that the baby had suffered what they characterized as a non-accidental, life-threatening injury.
The child was initially taken by ambulance to Christus St. Michael Hospital around 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Police said Kelley, the child's father, asked a neighbor to call 911 after his son began experiencing breathing problems.
Doctors at the Texarkana hospital determined the infant had suffered a skull fracture and other injuries and arranged for the child to be transferred to Cook Children's in Fort Worth.
During the investigation, Schmidt determined that the injuries occurred while the baby was home alone with Kelley, according to police. Kelley had been caring for his son while his wife was at work.
Police did not provide additional details about how investigators believe the child was injured or release an update on the baby's condition.
Kelley was booked into the Bi-State Jail on the injury to a child charge.
