Man charged in infant son's abuse heads to county court

A Fairview Township father could face a jury as he stands accused of abusing his infant son to “near death.”

The case against Stephon Colon III, 25, advanced out of a district court Monday, bound for the York County Court of Common Pleas. He’s charged with several counts as investigators allege he bruised his 3-month-old son’s side and caused a brain hemorrhage on top of older injuries.

Newberry Township police were called to Hershey Medical Center the morning of Dec. 9 while the baby was at the hospital, the criminal complaint shows.

After learning about the injuries, police interviewed Colon. They allege he told them he forgot he was holding his son the day before, and he dropped him as he stood up from a couch at a home in the 600 block of Salem Road in Newberry Township.

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Colon allegedly told police the child stopped breathing and he pressed on his chest, jabbed his side, pinched him and shook his head until he was revived and started breathing again.

Several hours later, police said the baby started vomiting and having seizures, so Colon and his girlfriend took him to the hospital. He allegedly told nobody there about the incident earlier in the day. Doctors later told investigators the boy had bruises on his sides and bleeding in his brain, along with an older brain hemorrhage and a pair of fractured ribs.

During a second interview with police, Colon allegedly admitted he pressed his fist into the infant’s chest while “full of anger” because he couldn’t get his son to stop crying, charging documents show.

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He allegedly told police the pressure he forced onto the boy’s body could’ve possibly injured an adult.

Colon is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and child endangerment along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault and reckless endangerment.

With his case moving out of District Judge Scott Gross’ court, Colon is scheduled to be arraigned before a Common Pleas judge March 14, court documents show.

— Reach Aimee Ambrose at aambrose@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @aimee_TYD.