NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A 5-month-old baby has serious injuries after police say her father hit her because she was crying and drooling.
Nicholas Brunelle, 22, is in jail, charged with aggravated and simple assault.
Police said they took into evidence several text messages of his, apologizing for what he did.
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Investigators said Brunelle was the sole caretaker, watching his daughter inside his Lawrence County home Sunday when police say he admitted hitting her with an open hand while she was in her crib. He fractured bones in her face, leaving a handprint, police said.
According to a criminal complaint that Channel 11 obtained, Brunelle told officers, "he snapped out one time and hit her in the face. He wasn't proud of what happened, he had anger issues and needed help."
It was the little girl's mother who saw the marks and immediately called police on the baby's father.
The baby is now with her mother.
Cox Media Group
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