Fort Worth police arrest man on injury to a child charge

FORT WORTH -- The father of a baby boy brought to Cook Children’s Medical Center last month with at least 22 broken bones in different stages of healing was charged Wednesday with injury to a child.

Phillip Michael Ramirez, 25, was arrested by Fort Worth police Tuesday in connection with the case. He was in the city’s jail awaiting transfer to the Mansfield jail Wednesday afternoon, jail officials said.

Ramirez’s son was 11 weeks old when the boy’s mother and her relatives brought the baby to the hospital about 11:30 p.m. April 19, concerned that his arm didn’t look right and that he cried when was picked up.

Hospital staff told police that an examination revealed that the baby boy had at least 22 broken bones in different stages of healing — the break to his arm being the newest. The injuries, which included multiple skeletal fractures, were consistent with non-accidental injuries, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

The boy’s mother has told police that she and Ramirez are separated due to Ramirez slapping the baby in the face. The mother, however, told police that she would drop her son off with Ramirez every morning so she that could attend school, according to Lt. Paul Henderson, police spokesman.

Through an interview with a young relative of the injured boy, investigators learned Ramirez had been seen throwing the victim into the air, causing the baby to do two complete flips before falling onto the bed. He had also been seen swinging the victim by the arm, the affidavit stated.

The boy, now 15 weeks old, was released from the hospital April 20 and placed into foster care by Child Protective Services, said Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman with the state agency.

Tarrant County court records show Ramirez has previous convictions for possession of marijuana and driving while intoxicated. He also has a pending charge of assault bodily injury to a family member, accused of choking and pushing down a previous girlfriend while she was pregnant back in November.