An arrest warrant has been issued for a 21-year-old Rochester man accused of assaulting a toddler.
David Kristobal Valdez is charged with third-degree assault, a felony, and misdemeanor violation of a no-contact order.
He is accused of assaulting a 2-year-old boy overnight June 28. Police were called to Olmsted Community Hospital about 6 a.m. on June 29 after the mother brought the child in for treatment. Valdez is described as the mother's boyfriend; he'd been living at her residence since he was released from jail in January.
The mother told officers that Valdez had been drinking the previous night and that they argued before she went to bed about 11 p.m. Her son had already gone to bed. She said she woke up about 5 a.m. and Valdez was awake. She asked him to check on the boy and when he returned, Valdez said the boy was fine. The mother said she woke up her son about half an hour later and his face was swollen and bruised. She said Valdez suggested it was an allergic reaction.
She told officers that the boy would not let Valdez pick him up and screamed "no, no, no" when Valdez went near him that morning. Valdez accompanied the mother to the hospital but left after police were called, the complaint said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Doctors told police that the child had significant trauma to the left side of his head with swelling, that his ears and earlobes were swollen and that he had blood in his eardrums. He had retinal hemorrhages in his left eye. The doctor said he believed the boy was hit multiples times with a fist.
The boy was examined by a child abuse specialist at the Mayo Clinic, who agreed that the injuries were most likely caused by being hit with a fist.
