Charges waived to court for West Waynesburg man accused of assaulting his baby
Charges against a West Waynesburg man accused of assaulting his 1-month-old son earlier this month were waived to Greene County Court of Common Pleas Friday afternoon, during his preliminary hearing before District Judge Glenn Bates.
Richard Dewayne Wright III, 20, of 1 Green Terrace Court, was charged by state police with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, after the infant suffered several injuries July 3.
As part of an agreement between Assistant District Attorney Brianna Vanata and Wright’s attorney, Ryan James, the endangering the welfare of children charge, a third-degree felony, was withdrawn.
According to the criminal complaint, the child’s mother, Jenna Wolfe, left her 2-year-old and the infant with Wright at his residence for an hour that day. When she returned, the infant was shaking, clammy and had a temperature of 94.9, the complaint said.
Wolfe allegedly told police that Wright was holding their 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 next day, police spoke with Dr. Frank Casey, Ruby’s pediatric intensive care unit physician who cared for the infant. He told police, according to the complaint, 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, Casey told them.
He also 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, Gerard Schuster, visited the family July 7 to inform them that they would be attempting to take custody of the children, Wright admitted to abusing the infant.
Schuster allegedly told police that “Richard Wright threw his arms in the air and said ‘I did it,'” the complaint said. Wright allegedly told Schuster that he “picked the victim up too quick and squeezed him too hard,” the complaint said.
Wright is free on $50,000 bond with the condition that he’s to have no contact with the baby. James asked the court to allow Wright to visit the baby with the condition that CYS representatives be present, but Bates denied that request, maintaining the current conditions of Wright’s bond.