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LEHI — A Lehi father has been charged with child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, after allegedly shaking his 5-month-old son.
On April 19, Paul and Nicole Kardos got into a heated argument, according to charges filed in 4th District Court. They each left the house at separate times.
Nicole Kardos left the house at 11 a.m. believing her husband would be home from work at 1 p.m., according to court documents. She left her 5-month-old twins in the care of her 9- and 11-year-old sons.
Paul Kardos didn't get home until 6 p.m., however, and then went out to buy Easter candy for the children. He and Nicole Kardos continued fighting through texts and emails, and Nicole Kardos decided to stay the night at a hotel rather than go home, according to court records. Paul Kardos later admitted to police he was frustrated, according to the report.
When Nicole Kardos returned home the next morning, her husband was "in a panic" because their 5-month-old son, Pauly, "appeared dead, was not breathing, was unresponsive, and his limbs were limp," according to court records.
Paul Kardos said he ran the young boy under cold water in an attempt to revive him, but his wife said he seemed "resistant to calling 911," the charges stated.
Nicole Kardos called 911, and paramedics responded and advised the couple that the infant needed to be taken to the hospital immediately, the report stated. The parents said they would take the child themselves rather than have the paramedics do it.
Pauly has lost the majority of his eyesight and sensory function. He can not swallow without aspirating. He has seizures. He has no head control and has muscle issues on the right side. MRIs show a portion of his brain is permanently damaged.
–Pauly's Story blog
But Nicole Kardos didn't show up at American Fork Hospital until an hour later, according to the charges. Paul Kardos later told police he thought the baby was fine and didn't need to go to the hospital anymore, the charges stated.
Doctors in American Fork found internal head trauma and had Pauly flown to Primary Children's Hospital.
Paul Kardos submitted to a "voice stress lie-detection test" by police but later told his wife that he "messed with the test by pausing before answering each question."
When questioned by investigators, he offered explanations for the baby's injuries ranging from blaming his sons to claiming his wife had snuck back into the house during the night and harmed him, according to court records.
Ultimately, Paul Kardos didn't have an explanation for how the injuries occurred, according to the charges.
Paul Kardos was charged on May 7, the same day Pauly was released from the hospital. But Pauly was readmitted Monday to have fluid drained from around his brain, according to a website* set up to raise funds for the infant's hospital bills.
"Pauly has lost the majority of his eyesight and sensory function. He can not swallow without aspirating. He has seizures. He has no head control and has muscle issues on the right side. MRIs show a portion of his brain is permanently damaged," according to the blog.
Donations to help Pauly and her mother are being accepted at www.gofundme.com/91vb4w.
*KSL.com
