A Grovetown couple have been arrested for child cruelty after their 3-week-old son suffered serious injuries while left alone with the father, authorities said.
The child was hospitalized with a fractured bone, a slight brain bleed, retinal hemorrhaging and multiple bruises down his back, according to Grovetown Public Safety Investigator William Rodman.
Hannah Akins, 23, and her fiancé, Octavius Graham, 25, were both charged last Wednesday with cruelty to children, however Graham was charged with first-degree and Akins was charged with second-degree. They remained in jail Tuesday.
Graham is accused of causing the injuries and the child’s mother is accused of neglecting to seek medical attention after returning home from work and seeing them, Investigator Rodman said.
The couple’s roommate mentioned the bruises to police last week while asking how to evict Akins and Graham from her residence on Woodward Drive.
The roommate was upset about the bruises and asked Graham about them. He reportedly said, “The baby scratched himself.” It was a claim he repeated to police, but medical staff said the newborn could not have caused the serious injuries to himself, according to Investigator Rodman.
The baby received treatment before the state’s Division of Family and Children Services placed him with a relative under a safety plan, Investigator Rodman said.
Both parents have remained in jail since their arrest last Wednesday, unable to make bonds. His bond is $25,100 and hers is $7,600.
