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SALT LAKE CITY — A West Jordan man faces felony child abuse allegations after doctors determined his infant daughter is suffering from four broken ribs, a broken bone in her foot and internal bleeding near her brain, according to charges filed this week.
Adam Keith Talbot, 29, is charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of child abuse by inflicting serious injury intentionally, a second-degree felony.
Charging documents say Talbot would watch his daughter, who was born in late May, for a period of roughly three months whenever his wife went to work or otherwise had to leave the house.
Talbot allegedly told his wife on one occasion that the infant had an "episode" and became limp. Another time, he told his wife that he had to perform CPR on the baby, "and then she was fine," charges state.
"When (Talbot's wife) arrived, she observed that she could not get (the baby) to fully wake up and that she was gasping for air," according to charging documents.
Talbot allegedly told West Jordan police that he may have hit his daughter too hard while burping her.
"(Talbot said) he has given CPR but not followed up medically after," charging documents say.
Talbot also allegedly told investigators that he shook the baby while carrying her and had accidentally stepped on her.
Two doctors at Primary Children's Hospital examined the baby girl and told police she had suffered fractures to four left ribs, a broken metatarsal bone in her left foot, and "both acute and chronic" internal bleeding near her brain.
"The injuries … cannot plausibly be explained by accidental injury, pre-existing medical illness, reasonable discipline or benign events," the doctors wrote in a statement submitted to police. "Therefore, these injuries should be considered consistent with inflicted trauma. … This child is at high risk of further injury or death if returned to the hands of the caregiver who inflicted these injuries."
Talbot has been charged with a host of misdemeanor traffic offenses in addition to three pet violations since 2007.
A warrant for Talbot's arrest was issued Tuesday. An initial court date hasn't been set in his case.
