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GRANTSVILLE — A father has been arrested and accused of causing numerous injuries to his 1-year-old son, who police say is not expected to survive.
Aaron Visser, 44, was booked into Tooele County Jail for investigation of aggravated child abuse.
The Grantsville Police Department noted that if the child dies, police will pursue child abuse homicide charges.
The investigation began Friday when Visser called 911 and reported the infant was "not conscious or breathing with an unknown cause" at his home, near 92 S. Quirk Street, police said in an arrest affidavit. Medical crews administered life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and took the infant to Mountain West Medical Center by ambulance.
The child was then flown to Primary Children's Hospital, where he was placed on life support and isn't expected to survive, police said.
Police said the infant had "multiple injuries," including bruising and cuts across his forehead, face, hands and feet.
Staff at Primary Children's Hospital said he "suffered from multiple internal injuries ... a brain bleed, fractured rib which was in the stages of healing, a freshly fractured rib, and a bruise on one of the lungs. The bruising on the lung was not consistent with life-saving measures. There was also a bite mark on his right hand that was not previously noticed," police wrote.
During forensic interviews with three of the infant's siblings, investigators said the children told them that "the victim's father was very upset about being woke-up (sic) by the victim and his twin brother and the fact that their mother had called also requesting assistance from him with an item she needed brought to her at work," according to the affidavit.
Investigators said, "one of the victim's siblings reported hearing a loud thud followed by the victim crying and then hearing their father's voice."
The affidavit notes the children said the infant "is constantly getting injured while inside the master bedroom with the father and that the father has told them that the victim constantly falls off of the bed."
When police interviewed Visser, they said he "continually denied knowing any cause" of the infant's injuries. Police said he "made statements regarding siblings being rough and the juvenile victim having fallen on his own while walking."
But police said he later told them he had been playing a game "where he threw" the infant on his bed. "He continued that he had misjudged and the juvenile victim had bounced head over end of the bed and hit the ground. He stated that he did not see how the victim had struck the ground."
Investigators say the child's injuries are "both new and preexisting, which shows a pattern of extensive injuries the victim has received on multiple different occasions."
