A Centralia man accused of breaking a 2-month-old baby’s legs is facing felony charges.
Jonathan T. Murphy, 21, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 12:25 p.m. on Dec. 24 following a Centralia Police Department investigation into an incident that occurred on Dec. 23.
Bail is set at $100,000.
Murphy and the baby’s mother reportedly told police that they were at a funeral in Lewis County when the child was handed to a relative, who then had an epileptic seizure and dropped the child. Both adults allegedly claimed that Murphy caught the child, injuring the baby’s legs.
However, the baby’s injuries were inconsistent with Murphy’s narrative, according to court documents.
An affidavit of probable cause describes the injuries, saying “the bruises appear as if something was snapped across his legs and the bruises appear fresh.”
Murphy and the baby’s mother later allegedly admitted to lying about their initial story, according to court documents.
Murphy allegedly admitted that the injury occurred at home and that Murphy didn’t remember what happened due to controlled substance use.
He allegedly “indicated he did not feel as though it was an accident,” according to court documents.
He was charged Dec. 26 in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of first-degree assault of a child, making a false or misleading statement to a public servant and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
The assault of a child charge is a class A felony punishable by up to life in prison.
Arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 8.
