PITTSBURGH — A man accused of trying to drown his infant son by flushing him down a toilet is now facing an attempted murder charge.
Dennis Gateley, 31, had already been facing a lengthy list of charges including several counts of aggravated assault. The charges stem from an incident that occured earlier this month at a home on Southern Avenue on Mount Washington.
The district attorney’s office added the attempted homicide charge during a preliminary hearing on Friday, and those charges were held for court.
Friday afternoon, Gateley’s brother, Danney, testified during the hearing. Danney Gateley said he had woken up around midnight on Aug. 2 and heard a lot of yelling, including the baby screaming. He testified that, as he approached the bathroom, “All I heard was, ‘I’m going to flush him. I’m going to flush him. I’m going to get rid of him.’”
Danney Gateley said he barged into the bathroom to see his brother, Dennis Gateley, holding the infant less than two feet from the toilet. The family dog bit Gateley, allowing others to grab the baby and get out of the house.
The family escaped the house and a SWAT team convinced Dennis Gateley to surrender about three hours later. Dennis Gateley allegedly told police he could have taken out two officers because he had been upstairs looking down at them as they used a car for cover.
The infant was treated at a hospital and released, and the baby’s mother suffered a black eye during the incident.
Gateley is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty to sexual assault in 2008. A year later, he was convicted of disarming a police officer, aggravated assault and resisting arrest. In both 2013 and 2015, he pleaded guilty to simple assault.
Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.
Related:
- STORY: Police: Man tries to flush baby down toilet before standoff; baby out of hospital
- VIDEO: Man who tried to flush baby down toilet has criminal history
Cox Media Group
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