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Waynesburg man charged with assaulting 1-month-old

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A Waynesburg man is in jail for allegedly assaulting a 1-month-old boy last week.

State police said on July 3, the child’s mother left her 2-year-old and the infant from 1 to 2 p.m. while she went to get her nails done. She left them with Richard Dewayne Wright III, 20, at 1 Green Terrace Court, Waynesburg, where they reside.

When the mother returned, the infant was shaking, clammy and had a temperature of 94.9, according to the criminal complaint. She told police that Wright was holding the baby boy, but asked her to take the child because “he had been crying for an hour,” the criminal complaint said.

She took the baby to WHS-Greene hospital, where it was discovered the boy had bruising and a brain bleed. The child was later transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va.

The doctor at Ruby’s pediatric intensive care unit told police July 4 that the baby had suffered right posterior rib fractures, a right subdural hematoma and a possible left subdural hematoma, which is bleeding on the brain. The baby also had bruising on his eye, side and back.

The doctor told police that “one of these injuries would raise suspicion of abuse, but the combined injuries increase the likelihood of abuse,” the complaint said.

According to the criminal complaint, when a Greene County Children and Youth Services caseworker visited the family Sunday to inform them that they would be attempting to take custody of the children, Wright admitted to abusing the infant.

The caseworker told police that “Richard Wright threw his arms in the air and said ‘I did it,'” the complaint said. Wright allegedly told the caseworker that he “picked the victim up too quick and squeezed him too hard,” the complaint said.

Wright was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was arraigned by District Judge Glenn Bates Thursday afternoon and jailed on $50,000 bond.

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