By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A young father accused of hurting his infant son, who was diagnosed at OU Children’s Medical Center as having trauma to his brain and eyes, has been jailed on $100,000 bail pending a Feb. 5 court appearance on a child abuse charge.
Hayden Keith Howard, 20, of Stillwater, could be given as much as a life prison term if convicted of removing his three-month-old baby from his crib and handling him in such a way as to cause the infant’s injuries on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, court records show.
Asked how he felt during an interview on Dec. 6, 2023, with Stillwater Police Detective Stephanie Wheeler, Howard said, “horrible, he misses him, and he cannot see him,” the detective’s affidavit alleged.
Asked if he disagreed that the injuries took place while the infant was with him, the baby’s father said, “I, I feel like it might’ve, yeah, and that scares me. Cause I don’t remember the whole story. I do remember getting angry and frustrated and not knowing and then being aggressive and I’m calling her (the baby’s mother at work) saying ‘I can’t get him to stop crying. I don’t know what to do,"” the affidavit alleged.
The detective said, “On Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, I was notified of a DHS referral. I was advised DHS responded Nov. 22, 2023, at 9:30 am for a dirty house,” in which the baby lived. The baby “appeared clean and cared for when DHS told the parents to clean the house and she will be back for follow-up,” according to the affidavit.
“DHS received a second referral on Nov. 30, 2023, concerning a bruise on (the infant’s) head. DHS responded to the home and found bruising on his head and cheek,” the affidavit alleged.
The mother “said she was holding the baby on Thanksgiving and hit his head on a door frame. Dad, Hayden Howard, said he was home alone with (the baby) on Tuesday. (The baby) would not stop crying so he aggressively ‘swooped’ him up. He called mom to come home from work to take care of the infant and she did,” the affidavit alleged.
The baby “was brought to SMC ER and separated from the father. A full body scan was done, which showed a subdural hematoma to the head and a possible healing femur fracture. The infant was transported to OU Children’s Medical Center,” where surgery was performed due to fluid buildup on his brain, the affidavit alleged.
When the detective saw the baby in ICU at the Oklahoma City hospital on Dec. 5, 2023, “He had tubes inserted into his head. I was able to see the small bruise on his cheek. The bruises on his head were covered by the surgical bandages. I was advised doctors were hoping to remove the drains,” the next day for discharge, her affidavit said.
A Child Maltreatment Medical Evaluation by Dr. Mary Ellen Stockett indicated physical abuse/abusive head trauma, the affidavit alleged.
“Examination indicated small bruises of his head, face and knee. Head CT and MRI indicated subdural and subarachnoid hematomas. Ophthalmology evaluation revealed numerous diffuse retinal hemorrhages of all layers of the retinas of both eyes,” the affidavit alleged.
On Dec. 6, 2023, the baby’s father told the detective that he was watching the baby on Nov. 28, 2023, because the baby’s mother had to work, the affidavit alleged.
He said that the baby “had a crying fit and he could not calm him down, so he gets super frustrated. He believes he could have caused the injuries because he was being too aggressive but cannot remember exactly,” the affidavit alleged.
He said he called the baby’s mother and told her to come home because he could not get the baby to calm down, the affidavit alleged.
The baby’s mother came home within a few minutes, got the baby calmed down, and then asked him about the marks on the baby’s head, the affidavit alleged.
The baby’s father “feels horrible because he felt like he did this. He knows that he was aggressive and then he was calling (the baby’s mother). He does not think anyone else did this. His mom takes good care of (the baby) and so does (her) parents,” the affidavit alleged.
When the detective talked to Dr. Stockett on Dec. 20, 2023, “She verified that the potentially broken femur was not actually a fracture. The bruises show that (the baby) suffered some sort of trauma to his head. The surgery was completed because (the baby) was throwing up and had decreased activity. It was believed the fluid buildup was the cause of those symptoms,” the affidavit alleged.
“It is not believed his DiGeorge Syndrome (one of his 22 chromosomes being absent) is related to the trauma or made him more fragile. Dr. Stockett stated the retinal hemorrhages were severe and approximately 85% of children that have suffered Abusive Head Trauma have these injuries. It is believed (the baby) suffered Abusive Head Trauma,” the affidavit alleged.
