| July 8,
2005 |
| |
| Baby in
ICU; Mom's Boyfriend Charged with Abuse |
| |
A seven-month-old baby
remains in serious condition in the intensive care unit of Mission-St. Joseph's
Hospital in Asheville, while his accused abuser is in jail charged with
felonious child abuse and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious
bodily injury.
Randall Scott Carswell (right), 24, of 2221 Mount Home Church Road,
Morganton is the boyfriend of the baby's mother, according to Burke
detectives. |
 |
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| Detective Dean Hennessee of the Sheriff's Office
said that Carswell was baby-sitting little Deacon Watts while the child's
mother, Lakisha Canipe was at work on the evening of July 3rd. |
| |
| Carswell reportedly contacted Canipe at work
that night and told her he accidentally dropped the baby when fire fell from
his cigarette and went down his shirt, according to Hennessee. The detective
said that Carswell told the woman the baby hit his head on a grill when he
fell. |
| |
| The incident reportedly occurred at 5711 Morris
Loop in Morganton. |
| |
| Hennessee stated that when Canipe arrived home
from work, the baby acted as if he didn't feel well, but was otherwise awake
and adhering to his normal feeding and sleeping schedule. |
| |
| The next morning, Canipe reportedly left the
child in Carswell's care while she went to purchase some Tylenol for the
baby. |
| |
| While at the store, Canipe was contacted by
Carswell, Hennessee said, and told the EMS was en route to the home because the
baby was not breathing. |
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| The child was transported to Grace Hospital and
then airlifted to Mission-St. Joseph in Asheville because of the severity of
his injuries, stated Hennessee. |
| |
| "Photographs I have of the child show numerous
bruises all over his body," Hennessee said. "Physicians also have said the
child's retina is detached in one eye and he is showing the classic abuse signs
of 'shaken baby syndrome.'" |
| |
| The child remains in the ICU of the hospital but
showed some slight improvement this morning, according to Hennessee. |
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| Carswell was jailed under a $1 million dollar
bond and will have a first court appearance on July 11th in Burke County
District Court. |
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| ************************************************************** |
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