By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
For the second time in as many months, Crawford County Municipal Court Judge Shane Leuthold dealt with allegations that a man injured an infant.
Brian Miller was charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and child endangering, a third-degree felony, Friday afternoon in an initial court appearance.
Assistant prosecutor Ryan Hoovler said the charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 4. An eight-week-old infant was rushed to the local emergency room and treated for cranial bleeding before being transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The child is currently on a ventilator.
“The prognosis is not good,” stated Hoovler.
According to Nationwide Hospital doctors, the infant had evidence of three or four other injuries that would have occurred up to a few weeks ago. Hoovler said Miller admitted to Crestline police that he was playing with the infant too hard.
“How do you play with an eight-week-old kid rough?” Leuthold asked in disbelief. “Playing rough with an eight-week-old child is not a good explanation.”
Citing the possible life-threatening injuries, Leuthold set bond at $1 million and appointed Andrew Motter as Miller’s attorney. Miller has no known felony history. The Crestline Police Department is still investigating the incident.
Miller could face up to 11 years in prison on the two charges if found guilty – eight years for felonious assault and 36 months for child endangering.
Leuthold dealt with a similar case in March in which Mitchell Lawhun was charged with second-degree felonious assault on a four-month-old female child. That infant was also transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital and diagnosed with a skull fracture and a broken arm.
(Updated May 10) Press release from Crestline Police Chief Joseph A. Butler:
On May 5, 2016, the Crestline Police Department responded to call of an unresponsive two (2) month old infant. The infant was transported to Galion Avita Hospital and then to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus for signs of trauma to the infant’s head and body. During the initial investigation, Brian A. Miller of Crestline was arrested and charged with Felonious Assault and Endangering Children-Abuse and was transported to the Crawford County Jail. Further investigation is pending.