HERMITAGE, Pa. (WKBN) – A three-month-old was in the hospital with brain bleeds and seizures after police say his mother reportedly shook him repeatedly.
Alyssa Tilley, 29, of Hermitage, was charged with felony aggravated assault and felony endangering the welfare of children after she admitted to shaking her child last month to get him to stop crying, according to a criminal complaint in the case.
According to Hermitage Police in the criminal complaint, the child was being treated at Akron Children’s Hospital on July 16, where hospital staff alerted police and Mercer County Children and Youth Services that the baby’s injuries could be caused by abuse.
When the father of the child was called, he told police that the baby had already been in the hospital for the same issue the day before, July 15.
Sharon Regional evaluated the baby on the 15th and released him to his parents who were told to bring the child back if he experienced any more issues, the complaint stated.
The seizures happened again the following night. The parents took the baby back to Sharon Regional, and he was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital.
Children’s and Youth Services told police the baby nearly died at the hospital from a cerebral hemorrhage. According to doctors in the criminal complaint, this injury is highly indicative of physical abuse.
According to reports, more injuries were then found on the child, including subdural hematomas, injury to the neck, brain hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhages, altered mental status and seizure activity.
The report says that the extent of these injuries would not be from a normal parent-child interaction, a minor fall or injuries sustained at birth.
On July 22, in an interview with Alyssa Tilley, the criminal complaint says she admitted that she shook the child three to four times on July 15 to make him stop crying.
After shaking him, the baby stopped crying and went to sleep. He then began to have seizures, the criminal complaint says.
Tilley said her baby was not the same after she shook him. According to reports, Tilley told investigators that she believes she caused the injuries to her child.
