PORT ANGELES — A six-week-old baby was fighting for her life Friday after allegedly being assaulted by her father, Port Angeles police said.
Izaiah Jamal Calloway, 20, of Forks was arrested Thursday for investigation of first-degree assault with domestic violence for allegedly squeezing the crying baby and throwing her against a chair.
The baby stopped breathing and turned white after the assault early Thursday morning, court papers said.
She was resuscitated at Forks Community Hospital and airlifted to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Port Angeles Police Officer Trevor Dropp said in the affidavit for probable cause.
The baby suffered multiple broken bones and a subdural hematoma, investigators said. The baby was still alive as of Friday morning, Port Angeles Deputy Chief of Police Jason Viada said.
Viada said the baby’s survival was “minute by minute.”
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brent Basden set a $750,000 bail for Calloway at his initial court appearance Friday.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Roberson had requested a $1 million bail for Calloway.
Prosecutors will consider charging Calloway at his next court appearance at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Investigators said Calloway changed his story about baby’s injuries, according to the affidavit for probable cause. Tacoma police said Calloway eventually confessed to the assault.
Calloway said he woke for the baby’s feeding at about 1 a.m. Thursday.
“He said that he was so tired and frustrated because the baby wouldn’t sleep and wouldn’t stop crying,” Tacoma police said in Dropp’s arrest narrative.
“Izaiah said he finally sat down on a chair and he began to slap (the baby) in the face with both his hands while telling her to ‘stop crying.’”
When he could not stop the baby from crying, Calloway said he pinched the infant’s nose.
Calloway told police that he stood up and held the baby under the armpits and squeezed her, court papers said.
According to Tacoma police, Calloway said he threw the baby about three feet into a chair out of “anger and frustration.”
“Izaiah said that when he threw (the baby) into the chair, her head struck the exposed wood paneling on the chair,” police said.
“Izaiah said he heard the head strike the wood.”
After warming a feeding bottle, Calloway said he checked on the baby and noticed that her hands and feet were beginning to turn white. He said he noticed that the child had stopped breathing, police said.
Calloway said he panicked and attempted to perform CPR on the baby because he did not want the baby’s mother to find out what had happened.
Calloway said the baby’s entire body turned white as he attempted CPR. He said he woke the child’s mother, who instructed him to rouse a neighbor and call 9-1-1.
Calloway said he and a neighbor attempted CPR until police arrived and rushed the baby to Forks Community Hospital.
“Once at the hospital, they were able to revive (the baby) with a heartbeat,” police said.
Hospital staff decided to transport the baby to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and Port Angeles police were called to assist in the investigation.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
