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A Utah man who allegedly punched his 3-month-old son in the face after the infant spit up on him last weekend has been charged with second-degree felony child abuse.
Mason Allen Blair, 22, of Ogden, was charged Friday in Provo's 4th District Court, accused of leaving the baby suffering from "severe head trauma, including multiple brain bleed."
Police said earlier this week that the child was initially in critical condition, but had been stabilized and was thought to be gradually improving. A condition update was not immediately available Friday.
American Fork police Sgt. Josh Christensen has said that officers were contacted 1 p.m. Monday after the baby was admitted to Davis Medical Center with serious head injuries. The child was then flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Christensen said police learned that the child was allegedly beaten twice over the Memorial Day weekend by his father.
The first time purportedly occurred at a friend's home in American Fork on Sunday afternoon.
"The infant began to spit up on [Blair, who] admitted to investigators this made him angry and he lost his temper," Christensen said. "[Blair] struck the infant multiple times on the side of the face and head with a closed fist."
Police also say that shortly after that incident — after Blair, the child and its mother had returned to their Weber Count home — he again became upset with the infant and allegedly struck the child on the lower back.
After the child's condition deteriorated, Blair and the infant's mother took the infant for medical care on Monday afternoon.
While doctors were examining the child, they saw "yellowed" bruises that were evidence of previous injuries, charges state.
Utah County prosecutors said allegations of prior abuse would be investigated by Weber County authorities.
Blair was booked into the Utah County jail on Monday, but was released Thursday after posting $10,000 bail, jail records show.
Police have said that the child's mother was not being further investigated since they do not believe she was aware of the incidents at the time they occurred.