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WEST VALLEY CITY — A man accused of breaking the legs of his girlfriend's 1-year-old son multiple times has been charged.
Luis Fernando Ramirez, 29, of West Valley City, was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with two counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.
In November, a woman noticed that her young son wouldn't stop crying, the charging documents state. At one point, Ramirez dropped off the woman for a job interview. When he picked her up, the toddler was still crying, according to charging documents.
At home, she noticed the boy's leg was swollen, the charges state. He was also "fussy through the night," according to court documents.
When she took the boy to the doctor, she was instructed to take the boy immediately to the emergency room at Primary Children's Hospital, the charges state. She also told the doctor that there was another time about six weeks prior when the boy was left alone with Ramirez and she returned to find his leg hurt, according to the charges.
Doctors at the hospital discovered "a total of one new fracture in the left femur and five healing fractures in the left and right legs," the charges state.
"This child is at high risk of further injury or death if returned to the hands of the caregiver who inflicted these injuries." — Doctor to prosecutors
The boy also had bruising around his ears, according to court documents, which a doctor determined "are consistent with inflicted injuries." Likewise, the broken legs were determined to be the result of "inflicted trauma," the charges state.
"This child is at high risk of further injury or death if returned to the hands of the caregiver who inflicted these injuries," the doctor told prosecutors.
