Jan 7, 2020 2 min read

A Uniontown man who was accused of killing an 11-month-old girl in East Huntingdon Township last summer is now facing charges for injuring his son in 2018 in Monessen.

On Oct. 12, 2018, Monessen Police were investigating a report that Derrick Anthony Bass, 29, assaulted his then-girlfriend, Sarah Kolenc, in front of two children. 

During the investigation, police and caseworkers noticed the 14-month-old baby had bruises on his head, along with bumps, red marks and small cuts. 

The child appeared to “stare off” when they tried to engage with him, which investigators described as uncharacteristic for his age. Mon Valley EMS took him to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of a suspected internal head injury, and bought him milk on the way after learning he had not eaten all day, police said.

Kolenc told police the baby fell out of his playpen a week earlier and bruised his forehead. She said his behavior was not typical, and he is usually very interactive.

Medical records annotated in the criminal complaint indicated the baby also had a rash in the folds of his neck, scrapes on his upper lip and left eye and a burn mark on his right palm. They determined the baby suffered the injuries while he was in the care of Bass for eight hours.

He was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

Arraignment information on the case was not immediately available, but court records show Bass is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 17.

In his 2019 case, Bass is awaiting trial on charges of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, theft and receiving stolen property. Police said he was babysitting Niomi Rose Miller while her mother, Sara Miller, was at work on July 18. When she arrived home, she reported to police Bass and her daughter were missing. She later found the body of her daughter wrapped in blankets in a pack ‘n play, authorities said.

The homicide case has not yet been scheduled for trial in Westmoreland County Court.