MEMPHIS, Tenn. (TCD) — A 22-year-old man is facing child abuse charges after he allegedly beat his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son with a dog toy, causing fatal injuries.
Shelby County Jail records show Anthony Andrews was booked Sept. 4 for aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect.
According to the affidavit, on Monday, Sept. 4, at 5:49 a.m., Memphis Police Department officers and Memphis Fire Department paramedics were called to a residence on Margot Street regarding an unresponsive 2-year-old boy. The victim, Anthony Bakare, was “not breathing, bleeding from the mouth with bruising on the abdomen, sides, and back.”
The little boy also had a “long bruise” on his face starting at the forehead down to the jaw.
Paramedics performed CPR on Anthony and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers spoke with Anthony’s mother, Sharday Bakare, who said the boy was “in good health” at 11:15 p.m. the night prior. She reportedly told police she left Anthony in Andrews’ care while she slept. She also informed officers she “was aware that Mr. Andrews disciplines her child and has seen him use a belt or braided dog toy to strike the child while disciplining him.”
Bakare reportedly “noticed excess bruising and wounds” on Anthony, but Andrews allegedly claimed the injuries occurred when Anthony fell out of his bed.
Andrews allegedly admitted to police he hit Anthony with a belt in the past and that he struck him “seven to eight times” with a braided dog toy, striking his back, face, and buttocks on Sept. 4.
The affidavit says Andrews “also admitted to striking the child with an open hand in the chest at least once or twice before shoving the child in a corner.”
After he allegedly hit Anthony, Andrews reportedly put the boy back in his bed “until the child fell out of the bed several minutes later” when he was unresponsive.
The affidavit notes Andrews “will most likely be charged with homicide when the autopsy comes back.”
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