CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man will be spending up to six years in state prison for assaulting his 13-week-old infant.
John Carlos Uceda-Drumm, 24, pleaded guilty Monday before Judge Paul Cherry to two counts of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, all felonies in relation to the child having broken legs and ribs.
Cherry sentenced him to a total of one to six years in state prison.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 6, the child was taken to a pediatric doctor’s office because the mother thought there was something wrong with his right leg. An X-ray revealed two breaks in the leg.
Further investigation uncovered a previous visit to the emergency department at Penn Highlands Clearfield where the parents were concerned about feeding problems and the child’s excessive crying.
The physician there requested the child be examined at the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, but Uceda-Drumm “deferred treatment against medical advice,” according to the criminal complaint.
On Dec. 7, police received information that the child, who was at that time in the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, had healing rib fractures, in addition to his left and right legs being broken. It was determined that the rib fractures had occurred in the child’s first three or four weeks of life.
In his interview with investigators, Uceda-Drumm stated that he “was a little rough” with the baby during the first two months because he didn’t know how to handle him.
Police said he told them if the baby slipped through his hands, he would grip him tightly around the ribs.
When asked how he held the child as he changed his diapers, Uceda-Drumm responded that he would hold him up by his feet and if he squirmed a lot, he would hold him by his calves.
“I pulled his leg up. I don’t know. I possibly, probably did it,” he said.
He also stated multiple times that he blames himself for the injuries, according to the report.
Uceda-Drumm also had his probation revoked on a previous case for which he was charged with three counts of corruption of minors.
He received a sentence of 196 days to two years less one day in the county jail for the violation.