LUBBOCK, Texas — Charles Cruse, Jr., 23, was arrested in early August after he was accused of child endangerment, according to court records obtained by EverythingLubbock.com on Wednesday.
According to the records, detectives with the Lubbock Police Department’s Special Victims Unit were called to Covenant Children’s ER to help with an injury to a child case.
The documents said Cruse brought the victim, a 3-month-old baby girl, to the hospital on August 5 and 6. The first time was at 10:30 p.m., and the second was at 2:45 a.m. after the baby “started having seizures.”
The documents stated that the baby was given a head scan, which showed “a skull fracture and subdural hematoma” on the left side of the baby’s head.
According to the records, Cruse was taking care of the baby on Saturday, August 5. He told investigators the baby was being “fussy and crying.” Cruse also said he gave the baby a bath and dropped the baby on a “hardwood” bathroom floor, according to court documents.
Cruse said that “he never told [anyone] that he dropped the baby.”
Court documents said the baby receiving “the proper medical care/attention was delayed due to Cruse not saying he dropped the baby and she hit her head on a “hard bathroom floor.”
The affidavit filed against Cruse never accused him of acting intentionally to hurt the child. It accused him of failing to let medical professionals know how the child was hurt.
Cruse was arrested and charged with Child Endangerment/Abandonment on Friday, August 11. As of Wednesday afternoon, he remained at the Lubbock County Detention Center on bonds totaling $110,001.
