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SOUTH JORDAN — A South Jordan man is facing a criminal charge accusing him of causing long-term injuries to his infant child in 2021.
Taylor Austin Heap, 26, was charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with child abuse, a second-degree felony. Another woman is listed in court documents as a co-defendant, but formal charges had not been filed against her as of Wednesday afternoon.
South Jordan police were called to a residence on Feb. 24, 2021, on a report of a 3-week-old boy "turning purple and not breathing." The infant was taken to Primary Children's Hospital where doctors discovered the boy was suffering from "brain bruising and fractured ribs," according to charging documents.
Two days later, doctors stated in medical records that the infant's injuries "remain life-threatening and critical, consistent with child abuse and head trauma," the charges state. On March 2, 2021, another report said "MRI findings indicate brain injury that is likely to cause long-term issues."
The boy's mother told police that after feeding her son, she gave him to Heap, and that 10 to 15 minutes later, Heap called for help and said the child wasn't breathing, according to the charges. Heap allegedly said that he tried "to console and burp" the infant after feeding, but later noticed he was having difficulty breathing so he patted his back.
Court documents do no indicate why it took 2½ years after the incident for charges to be filed.
