CLEARFIELD – A Grampian man accused of injuring his two-month-old baby pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges Friday.
Jordan Alexander Blake, 23, formerly of DuBois, was originally charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children, misdemeanor simple assault and endangering the welfare of children in relation to incidents in February 2022.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the baby was taken to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh because he had broken ribs and bruises “all over”.
In an interview with investigators, the mother of the child stated that Blake, the father of the boy, was rough when he burped him. Other family members had told him not to handle the baby that way.
Another family member told police Blake “is very rough with the baby and that they have all had to tell him to more gentle with the baby.”
Another witness also reported that he was “rough” with the child and yet another said that they had seen Blake lose his temper and kick the dog.
The child suffered a fractured rib, and bruising on his left thigh and abdomen. A doctor’s report confirmed that the injuries were the result of trauma and “highly concerning.”
It stated that the child was “at substantial risk of injury or death” if kept in his current environment.
In a second interview, the boy’s mother admitted that Blake would lift the baby up quickly by his arms, without supporting his head.
She also said that when the baby woke him up at night, Blake would get frustrated and would lift him up, yell at him and squeeze him “really hard with his thumbs” on his stomach and fingers on his back, which she thought caused the bruising all over his body.
Blake pleaded guilty to only the misdemeanor charges and was sentenced by Judge Paul E. Cherry to serve two to 18 months in the county jail with three years concurrent probation. He was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment and complete anger management counseling.
