Officer Faces Charges In Connection To His Baby's Physical Abuse: Official

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A Baltimore County police officer has been charged in connection to the abuse of his two-month-old son who was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center with what staff at the pediatric intensive care unit described as "concerning injuries."

The officer, Mitchell Tuveson, also has been suspended without pay from his duties. He and his wife live in Bel Air and the baby was placed in the care of its grandmother for the duration of the investigation.

Investigators with the Harford County Sheriff's Office opened a case May 17 on the couple after medical staff reportedly found injuries consistent with more than one "non-accidental traumatic event" including brain cysts, hemorrhages in both eyes and the brain and skeletal fractures, which could be attributed to shaking, charging documents state.

However, the infant had several hospital visits prior to being transported to UMMC, WJZ reported. During an interview with the sheriff's office, the victim's mother said they initially took their son to an area hospital in late April after believing she passed on an illness to the baby, court documents explained.

The hospital staff reportedly advised the family to use a saline solution at home for the illness. Days later in May, the mother explained to investigators that the victim began to choke following treatment and that she "slapped" her son's back "vigorously" to dislodge what may have stopped him from breathing, WMAR reported.

The wife also allegedly stated to the sheriff's office that her husband deployed "back-blows, chest compressions and rescue breaths" to their son until he "came to," according to charging documents. Investigators said neither parent immediately called for emergency services after the baby regained consciousness on May 1.

However, later that day, the baby was taken to an area hospital where the mother told hospital staff about the life-saving measures taken to help their choking son and the bruises sustained thereafter, WJZ reported. However, medical staff did not cite any visible injuries or reference the parent's account of giving the child CPR, according to the charging documents.

Two days later, the infant was taken to a different area hospital after seizure-like episodes began, the mother told the sheriff's office. Hospital staff diagnosed the baby with acid reflux. In the next 11 days, the baby did not show any symptoms exhibited previously until May 15, WMAR reported.

The infant had been taken to an area hospital but was then transported to UMMC after staff were concerned the baby had from meningitis, hyperthermia and suspected seizures, documents disclosed. Once at UMMC, medical staff began to investigate where old and new signs of trauma to the brain, as well as other injuries, had been located, charging documents explain. Genetic testing was conducted to rule out congenital defects that could have been attributed to the injuries.

The couple has a preliminary hearing July 26. The father has been charged with first-degree child abuse, second-degree child abuse, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.