PLEASANT VIEW, Weber County — A Pleasant View man was has been charged after police say his infant child was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Aaron James Ewert, 31, was booked into the Weber County Jail on Wednesday and charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with child abuse, a second-degree felony.
On Monday, Ewert and his wife took their 2-month-old daughter to McKay-Dee Hospital because the child was having trouble breathing and her skin was pale, according to a police affidavit.
“Doctors determined (the girl) was possibly bleeding in her brain. (She) was transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital where she was admitted to the PICU unit and placed on a breathing tube,” the affidavit states. Doctors “performed an MRI which confirmed (she) had bleeding on her brain, was still needing the assistance of a breathing tube, and was having seizures due to the injuries.”
At the time the affidavit was written, police noted, “It is unknown if (the girl) will recover from her injuries and is still in critical condition. (She) still has the possibility of death from her injuries or long-term effect.”
On Wednesday, Ewert contacted police to tell them the injuries were his fault, according to the affidavit. Ewert allegedly told detectives that he was changing the infant’s diaper and became upset when the girl would not stop crying.
“Aaron said he had a lapse in judgment and held (her) below the shoulder as he shook her. Aaron could not say how hard he shook (her) but it was hard enough to get her attention and make her stop crying,” according to the affidavit.
Correction: In an earlier version, Aaron James Ewert’s last name was misstated as West.