Michael Jerome Cridell Jr., 22, was allegedly the only person alone with the baby girl from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 4, the day she was taken to a local emergency room by her mother, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The baby, who was born in late February, had suffered a skull fracture when she was seen in the emergency room. She was transported to Children’s Hospital in Little Rock after that injury was discovered, the affidavit said.
The child’s mother had allegedly left the baby and another child with Cridell on June 4 and noticed upon her return that the baby had an injury to her head. A doctor at Children’s Hospital reportedly told investigators with the Texarkana Texas Police Dept. that the baby also had a broken femur bone in her leg and five fractured ribs which appeared to be older and healing, the affidavit said.
Investigators learned that the baby had been seen by medical personnel in late March, when she was about a month old, for difficulty breathing and a bruised abdomen, the affidavit said.
Cridell has been in custody since his arrest last week.
If convicted of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, Cridell faces five to 99 years or life in prison.
Cridell is represented by the Bowie County Public Defender’s Office.
The case has been assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell.