A teenager was arrested Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a 2-month old baby, sending the girl to a Boston hospital from New Hampshire with serious injuries earlier this month.
The baby was unresponsive when police were called to a residence on Conant Street on March 7, Manchester police said Wednesday, announcing the arrest.
The girl was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors found she had head trauma and bruising. She was taken to a hospital in Boston to continue her treatment, given the extent of her injuries, police said.
Tommie Johnson, 19, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of first-degree assault after police had issued a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was familiar with the girl, police said, but they didn't explain how.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
According to court documents, Johnson is accused of recklessly causing serious bodily injury by shaking the baby so hard it resulted in a skull fracture and the child's brain hemorrhaging.
"I mean, I'm speechless," said neighbor Tayler Catharine. "I have two kids of my own, and it is heartbreaking to hear anything like that ever, especially when it's so close to your house."
Catharine lives downstairs from the apartment where the baby lived. She says police asked her a couple of days ago if she'd ever seen or heard anything troublesome.
Local
"They asked if I knew anybody that lived up in an apartment and if I had known of any crimes that were committed or anything suspicious," she said.
It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the charge.
The child's mother did not return requests for comment.
The condition of the baby after her treatment wasn't immediately available.
