RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — A man was taken into custody Saturday following a call of an unresponsive 2-year-old in Richmond.
J Douglas (JD) Thomas was charged with Criminal Abuse (of a child under the age of 12) and Strangulation, both in the first degree, by the Richmond Police Department, according to the arrest citation.
The citation states that Richmond Police arrived in the area of Villa Drive on Saturday afternoon. When the officer got there, the 2-year-old was already being transported to UK Hospital due to possible severe head injuries.
Thomas told the officer that he was "watching" his girlfriend's daughter while she took her other child to the doctor's office. He said that he was downstairs when he heard a loud noise and crying come from the 2-year-old's bedroom. When Thomas entered the room, he told the officer he found her face down on the ground in the middle of the bedroom, allegedly falling from her bed nearby.
The citation says Thomas called his girlfriend who told him to contact emergency services. He told the officer the 2-year-old was "out of his presence" for about 20-30 minutes. The officer at the scene said the bed was about 63 inches off of the ground. Thomas told the officer that he only noticed an injury on her forehead. He also said both he and his girlfriend reportedly told the 2-year-old not to go up onto the bed.
At the hospital, officers made contact with the mother of the 2-year-old. She said Thomas has never shown any aggression to either of her two children in the past but did say she was unaware about the 2-year-old previously falling off or jumping on the bed.
Doctors told officers that the child had a brain bleed on the right side of her brain, along with a possible "midline shift," which is described as a shift of the brain past its center line. The child also had numerous bruises all over her body that are indicative of possible sexual abuse. Due to the extensive injuries, doctors advised that the injuries were from abuse and not accidental.
Richmond Police petitioned for a search warrant to perform a rape test kit on the toddler, which was signed and performed at UK Hospital.
Thomas was arrested and taken to the Madison County Detention Center.
