Oakland Co. Man Accused Of Child Abuse For Shaking 3-Month-Old

PONTIAC, MI — A Pontiac father is accused of child abuse for shaking his 3-month-old son because the child wouldn't stop crying, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.

The child was then taken to a Pontiac hospital by his father after he became unresponsive and no pulse on Jan. 11. As of Wednesday, the child was in critical condition, the sheriff's office said.

Henry Rick Howard, 25, was charged with first-degree child abuse after shaking his 3-month-old son because he was crying, the sheriff's office said. He was placed in the Oakland County Jail with a $75,000 cash bond. A conviction on the charge carries up to life in prison.

The sheriff's office said detectives learned of the incident on Jan. 14 after they were notified of a complaint by Wayne County Child Protective Services.

According to the complaint, Howard took the baby to a Pontiac hospital on Jan. 11 because he was unresponsive and had no pulse. The baby was air lifted to Children’s Hospital in Detroit because of the severity of the injuries, authorities said. Detectives also learned from doctors the child had multiple injuries that were indicative of child abuse.

Detectives interviewed Howard and the baby's biological mother, in which both denied any wrongdoing. The mother was at work and Howard was alone with baby, officials said.

When Detectives interviewed Howard a second time, he admitted he shook the baby several times because he became frustrated with the baby’s crying, officials said.

Howard has a probable cause conference is set for Jan. 27. He also has several prior felony convictions, which include a 2017 conviction of carrying a concealed weapon and fleeing and eluding police and fleeing and eluding police in 2018.