Published: May 09, 2009 09:49 pm
Galen Scott
gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com

A male infant remains in the custody of Child Protective Services and his mother in jail after physicians determined the infant sustained eight fractures of the arms and legs and a fractured skull.

The mother, Nichole Dawn Marlar, 18, of Weatherford, is charged with two counts of causing serious bodily injury to a child.

On April 29, Child Protective Services reportedly contacted the Parker County Sheriff’s Office after emergency medical staff at a Fort Worth hospital treated a child suffering from a bleeding skull fracture.

Sheriff’s Crimes Against Children investigators stated the child’s mother implicated herself during interviews at the hospital and sheriff’s office, and admitted she may have caused harm to her son by picking him up too hard and on another occasion by dropping the child.

According to a complaint, Marlar recalled picking up her 8-month-old son in a violent manner and intentionally or knowingly struck his head against a baby crib.

During an interview with Sheriff’s Investigator Robert Pawley, Marlar allegedly used a doll to demonstrate how her child struck his head against the crib.

“In the demonstration, she held the child against her chest as if she was rocking him,” the complaint states. “She took the child away from her body and slammed his head into the table next to her chair, which represented the crib.”

When the investigator asked Marlar if she used the same force on the doll as she had used on the child, she replied, “No, it was harder than that,” the complaint states.

Under the Texas Penal Code, Marlar’s charges constitute a first degree felony. Her bond for the two charges was set at $100,000.

The case is expected to go before a Parker County Grand Jury.

If convicted, Marlar faces five to 99 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine for each count.

http://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/local/local_story_129225009.html

Emphasis added by H4K Editor