The boyfriend of a woman whose 2-year-old daughter was hospitalized for injuries she suffered at home has been charged in the incident, police in Palmetto said.
William Gaddy, 20, was charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to children, police spokesman Sgt. Lee Gragg said. Palmetto is about a half-hour southwest of Atlanta.
According to an email from Gragg, police were sent to a location on Tiffany Lane on Tuesday afternoon concerning a child who was unconscious and unresponsive. Emergency personnel determined the child, “appeared to be suffering from obvious signs of blunt force trauma,” according to Gragg.
The girl was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston for treatment. Her condition was not immediately made public, police said, because she was placed into protective custody.
Investigators determined that Gaddy was caring for the girl and, after interviewing him at the hospital, took him into custody. Gaddy “gave a complete voluntary statement as to what occurred in the home,” Gragg said.
“Additional charges against Gaddy are likely to be upgraded in the near future,” the spokesman said.
Gaddy was denied bond Wednesday and remains in custody, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said. He is due back in court on July 1.
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