‘Reset to a newborn’: Mom’s fiance ‘bear hugged’ her infant son to get him to stop crying, police say

A 10-month-old Missouri boy continues to recover from critical head and body trauma allegedly suffered at the hands of his mother’s fiance.

A child publicly identified only as “Baby Waylon” was released from the hospital some six weeks after cops say the suspect, 28-year-old Jordan L. Boggess, dropped the boy while tossing him in the air and “bear hugged” him until he stopped crying.

Waylon has suffered lifelong injuries, his father told Springfield NBC affiliate KYTV, and he has to re-learn how to lift up his head and sit up.

“He has basically been reset to a newborn,” Tyler Burbridge said.

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The Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded shortly before 8 p.m. Sept. 14 to a home on Spring Street in Newtonia for a baby not breathing. When first responders arrived, they found the boy unconscious, but he was breathing. Paramedics rushed the boy to a hospital in Joplin and then transferred him to a children’s hospital in Kansas City. Once there, nursing staff noticed bruises on the boy’s forehead and ear, a probable cause arrest affidavit said. He was “too critical to do a full body x-ray” but doctors did perform a CT scan which showed two small brain bleeds and collapsed lungs, cops wrote. Staff contacted police.

Detectives went to the home and contacted Boggess who was sleeping. After receiving his Miranda warnings, Boggess told deputies he was laying in bed watching TV when the boy’s mother went to the bathroom. Boggess said the boy was in his jumper and had just vomited and was screaming. He then claimed he lifted up the boy and began to “toss him in the air” in an attempt to “comfort him,” the affidavit said. Boggess admitted Waylon “fell on his head” the second time he threw him up into the air.

“Jordan then admitted after the child fell on the floor he panicked and ‘bear hugged’ the child ‘a little hard’ until he stopped screaming,” cops wrote. “Jordan was asked if it was tight and he said yes. Jordan admitted he might have hurt him when he squeezed him.”

Doctors determined Waylon suffered from “abusive head trauma” and physical abuse, the affidavit said. Detectives arrested Boggess on a felony child abuse charge. Boggess remains in the Newton County Jail without bond.

“He basically took my son’s life. He took my son’s future. You don’t toss a baby into the air,” said Burbridge.

Waylon was discharged from the hospital Oct. 24 and his currently recovering with his mom.

“Our main focus is on Waylon on him recovering and on him striving to get stronger,” a statement sent to KYTV on behalf of his mother said.

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