Local man gets five years in prison for injuring baby
A Newton man has been sentenced to five years in prison for causing injuries that doctors believe will result in permanent neurological damage to a 5-month-old girl.
Judge Gregory A. Hulse sentenced 21-year-old Kyle Howard Duncan on a reduced charge of child endangerment causing bodily injury, a class D felony, on Nov. 23. Duncan also was ordered to pay a $750 fine, but the fine was suspended. He has been transported to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale.
Duncan originally was charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, a class C felony, following an investigation stemming from a report Newton police received the evening of June 30.
During an interview by police, Duncan referenced three separate occasions in which a baby girl was injured while under his care, including two incidents in which the girl hit her head against an object and another incident that resulted in bruising to her arms.
Authorities determined the incidents Duncan described were not consistent with the injuries the baby received or the physical evidence found in Duncan ’s apartment at 1453 N. 11th Ave. E. #1D, according to court documents.
Court records also stated the girl began suffering seizures due to the injuries she received and eventually was airlifted to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines for medical treatment, which lasted for four weeks and included a stent being placed in her skull to relieve swelling.
A physician connected with the Regional Child Protection Center at Blank told investigators the girl had new and aged injuries that were the result of intentional physical trauma and that she is expected to have “permanent neurological deficit” due to the injuries she sustained, according to court documents.
The girl was under Duncan’s care for about a week in June while her mother was at work, and Duncan told authorities he did not know if he is the girl’s biological father.
Mandi Lamb can be contacted at 792-3121 ext. 424 or via e-mail at mlamb@newtondailynews.com.
