Alamogordo man arrested for alleged physical abuse of a baby

Jason Herrera, 38 of Alamogordo, was arrested on May 20 on a magistrate warrant for child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.

The survivor was a two-month old child who was found to have 14 broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, two broken femurs, a broken hand and two brain bleeds.

The baby remained in stable condition at El Paso Children's Hospital, according to Alamogordo Police.

Alamogordo Police were dispatched to a home on the 100 block of Mescalero in Alamogordo after American Medical Response (AMR) was called about an infant choking in the residence.

When the baby was taken to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center, he was "purple, limp and not breathing," court records state.

Because of the baby's condition, a trauma team was activated which included various tests including X-rays, a computerized tomography (CT) scan, blood draws and a physical examination.

Emergency room staff saw "suspicious injuries" during its examination of the baby including bruising and swelling, court records state.

The baby was transported by Native Air Ambulance to El Paso Children's Hospital for further treatment, court records state.

According to the baby's mother, she had fed him earlier that morning and he was in his swing and was fine when she left for work around 9:40 a.m., court records state.

The only medical issue the baby had had was a double hernia surgery in El Paso a few weeks prior to the May 17 incident, court records state.

Herrera told Alamogordo Police that he did nothing wrong and did not mean to hurt the baby, court records state.

Herrera told police that the baby was in the swing and was fine after the baby's mother went to work that morning. A little while later, the baby started to get fussy, Herrera said, and he thought the baby needed a bottle, so he sat the baby in its bassinet on the bed, court records state.

From April: Alamogordo private school principal accused of child abuse held in jail ahead of trial

Herrera told police that he turned away to make a bottle and looked back around and something "wasn't right," court records state.

Herrera told police that the saw that the baby was not breathing and tried to resuscitate it by slapping the baby's cheeks, performing adult-style CPR procedure and slapping the baby on the back, all to no avail, court records state.

Infant and small child CPR procedure is different than it is for adults.

For more information about infant and child CPR, visit redcross.org.

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At another point in Herrera's interview with police he said he had been too rough with the baby, court records state.

Herrera was asked if the baby cried and how it made him feel to which Herrera responded the baby did begin to cry and that "the cry is more like a scream and 'starts something in the brain' and upsets him," court records state.

"At one point during the interview (Herrera) stated he put his left finger in (the baby's) mouth, which stopped (the baby's) crying before going to make the bottle," court records state. "When describing this, it appeared that (Herrera) was showing his hand covering (the baby's) mouth and not just his finger."

According to court documents, Herrera has epilepsy and may have had a seizure while trying to resuscitate the baby.

Children, Youth and Families Department's Child Protective Services chief medical director Karen Campbell, MD was contacted about this case.

"As to whether Mr. Herrera having a seizure while holding (the baby) in his arms could have resulted in 'some' of the injuries, the answer is no," Campbell said in the statement of probable cause.

Herrera's arrest is a probation violation from a 2018 case involving charges of child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A hearing was requested but not yet set in the probation violation case, as of May 23.

Herrera's first appearance hearing in the current case was held Monday, May 23. A preliminary hearing is set for July 6.

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call 1-877-301-0013.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Alamogordo man arrested for alleged physical abuse of a baby