Daily Mail
April 2, 2014
A 10-month-old baby died on Friday night after his mother’s boyfriend allegedly beat him.
Eddie Widdick, 23, of Jermyn, Pennsylvania was charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of his girlfriend Ashley Nelson’s child on Wednesday for allegedly bludgeoning the boy so badly he suffered deep brain injuries, hemorrhages in both eyes, bruises on the head and torso, and a rib fracture.
An autopsy will be performed on the baby Silas on Monday and more charges will be filed against Widdick following the autopsy, First Assistant District Attorney Gene Talerico said Saturday. He also said that homicide charges are likely.
Widdick frantically called Ashley Nelson on Wednesday morning to say ‘he didn’t do it’ but that Silas was not ‘breathing right.’
Seven minutes after he called his girlfriend, Widdick called 911 to tell police that the baby had fallen out of his crib, reported The Times Tribune.
The baby was taken from Rear Delaware Avenue in Olypahnt and was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Widdick later admitted that he dropped baby Silas down a flight of stairs and ‘forcefully put him in his crib.’
Silas had a twin sister, whom Lackawanna County Children and Youth Services removed along with 6 other children under the age of 13 who had bruising and signs of possible abuse.
Ms. Nelson has not been charged and Mr. Widdick is being held at Lackawanna County Prison with a bail of $150,000.