A Kansas man is behind bars this week — charged with felony child abuse — after allegedly causing severe head injuries to a 1-year-old girl, according to an affidavit provided by investigators.
Kevin Mitchell, 30, has been in jail on a $75,000 bond since December 17, after the 1-year-old victim was found unresponsive in his home the previous day, according to the affidavit.
Police said the victim’s mother left Mitchell in charge of three children — ages 2, 1, and 6 months. Mitchell’s relationship to the children and their mother was unclear at press time, and investigators did not respond to calls seeking clarification.
Mitchell allegedly told police that he was playfully spinning the 1-year-old girl when he lost his balance and fell onto a bed. He allegedly said he lost his grip on the girl, and Mitchell insisted that she “flew” out of his arms and smacked into a wall, causing her to stop breathing normally, it is alleged in the affidavit.
Initially, Mitchell allegedly told police that he was not sure how the girl was injured. He also admitted to throwing the girl on the bed at least twice that day but claimed he only noticed that she was not responding when he picked her up a third time.
The victim’s mother told Mitchell to call 911, and first responders arrived to find a bruise on the girl’s left temple as well as bruises on her left leg, stomach, and chest. She was rushed to the hospital and placed in the pediatric intensive care unit, where she remains in “extremely critical condition.”
KWCH reported that the 2-year-old girl Mitchell was tasked with watching was also found to have injuries, such as bruising on her left thigh, injuries to her right rib cage, and scratches on her left shoulder and side. The 6-month-old boy also had abrasions and scratches on his back.
The 2-year-old was also hospitalized, according to the affidavit.
Investigators spoke to the victims’ mother, who has not been named. She told cops at first that Mitchell never physically disciplined the children, the affidavit stated. During a subsequent interview, she said she saw Mitchell discipline the 1-year-old child by grabbing her face around her mouth when she was misbehaving.
The woman said on December 13, she used Mitchell’s brown leather belt and spanked the girl twice on the left leg when the girl would not stop talking after bedtime, according to the affidavit. She said scratches on the girl’s shoulder likely came from her grabbing the child by the shoulder.
Five children were in the home at the time of the alleged incident, ranging from 6 months old to 9 years old. All five children have been placed in police protective custody, the affidavit noted.
Mitchell has yet to enter pleas to the charges and is set to appear for a preliminary hearing on February 2.
If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
