Monday, Jun. 08, 2009

Columbia man caused child’s brain injury, officers say

A two-month-old Lexington County boy has been hospitalized with brain injuries and his caretaker charged with felony abuse charge of inflicting great bodily injury upon a child.

Edward Lynch, 23, of Columbia, was being held on Monday, June 8 at the Lexington County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond on the charge, said Lexington County Sheriff James Metts Monday.

Warrants in the case charge Lynch with shaking the baby with his hands when the baby would not stop crying while the man was entrusted with caring for the baby. The baby became “unresponsive” during the shaking, Metts said.

The two-month-old boy remains in critical condition at Palmetto Health Richland hospital, Metts said.

The incident happened about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, as Lynch was caring for the little boy and three other children, ages two, three and five, at the apartment where Lynch lives with his girlfriend, Metts said. She was not at home during the incident, he said.

After shaking the baby, Lynch placed the unmoving little boy on a bed and went to get a bottle to try to feed the baby, Metts said. The baby remained “unresponsive,” Metts said. Lynch then took the baby to a nearby apartment.

The baby was first taken by ambulance to Lexington Medical Center, where a doctor determined that the baby had multiple injuries, including trauma to the brain. The baby was later taken to Palmetto Health Richland.

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