DOTHAN, AL (WDNews) — A Dothan woman has been charged with a crime after police say she acknowledged hurting a child under five who is currently in critical condition at the hospital.
Around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, hospital staff alerted Dothan police when they noticed extensive bruises on a small kid undergoing emergency surgery preparation. Officers were concerned about potential abuse after learning that the youngster had severe facial and body injuries.
Investigators were first informed by the child’s caretaker, 24-year-old Selena Cheyanna Smith of Dothan, that the youngster had fallen while running inside a house on Jimmie Lane and struck their head on a table. The injuries, however, did not fit that scenario, according to police and hospital personnel.
Smith then acknowledged causing the injuries, according to investigators. Authorities claim that Smith threw the youngster to the ground, causing blunt-force trauma to the child’s skull, after growing irate while trying to discipline the child. According to medical experts, the injuries caused brain edema, which is a potentially fatal disease.
Since then, the youngster has been moved to a different hospital, where their status is classified as stable but serious.
In Dale County, Smith faces a single offense of severe child abuse. She was arrested and is being held without bond at the Dale County Jail.
