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Wilkinsburg mom facing more charges in son's abuse

WILKINSBURG, Pa. — A Wilkinsburg mother accused of harming her 11-month-old son is facing more charges Thursday after her preliminary hearing was postponed.

Channel 11’s Brandon Hudson reported that Dalishia Salter was charged with five additional counts that include making false reports.

“The false reports is the initial story about the assault that night, which we found not to be true,” said Wilkinsburg police Sgt. John Snyder.

The 22-year-old is facing assault and endangerment charges after her son suffered several injuries, and was left alone on her front porch. Police said the 11-month-old boy was brought to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh with injuries to his head, face and mouth.

Police paperwork states that Salter told officers that the baby’s father pushed a television on their son, but doctors said the boy had injuries consistent with long term abuse.

Hudson learned that Salter’s hearing was postponed because new evidence had been presented. Included in that evidence is a video shot by the boy’s father, that had since gone viral on Facebook.

David Bryant is wanted on burglary and assault charges. Officers have not been able to locate him since the video was posted two weeks ago.

Bryant posted the disturbing video on his Facebook page showing the injured boy and his confrontation with Salter earlier this month.
The post was shared widely on social media, with many calling for the charges against Bryant to be dropped.

Police said they are reviewing text messages and that cellphone video as part of their investigation.

Salter’s lawyer Blaine Jones said his client is heartbroken and the video is not indicative of Salter’s guilt.
“She’s completely heartbroken about everything that’s happened. It’s a very emotionally charged case. That’s her child. She loved him dearly,” Jones said. “On Facebook, a person can edit and do what they want. This is the court of law. So all those people on Facebook, all 70,000, they should come to the courtroom and watch what’s going to happen.”
The 25-year-old father sounds panicked at the sight of his 11-month-old son, Daviere, in a video Bryant began taking as he approached the steps of the two-story duplex where Salter lives.

"Open the door, yo," Bryant says in the video, audibly weeping as his son begins to cry. "My son, yo. … Open the door, yo, you hurt my son, yo. Open the door, yo."

Salter, who is the boy's mother, opens the door, and she and Bryant argue.

"You beat my son like that, yo? You hit my son like that, yo? What the (expletive) is wrong with you?" he says.

Salter repeatedly tells Bryant to "get out my crib" and says, "I told you to get him."

Mike Manko, a spokesman for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., said investigators called his office when they opened the case and to make his office aware of the video. Manko declined further comment.

Salter’s next court hearing is rescheduled for October 23.  Bryant has not yet been arrested.

Channel 11's news exchange parnters at TribLIVE contributed to this report.

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