Man Held in Biting, Choking of Infant
A man under the influence of PCP choked, bit and struck a 14-month-old baby as her mother and aunt struggled to rescue her, Los Angeles police said Monday.
Nathaniel Austell, 26, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and mayhem. He was being held on $500,000 bail.
The baby, as well as her mother and aunt, remained hospitalized Monday in stable condition.
Neighbors called police about 9:45 p.m. Sunday about a domestic disturbance in the 3600 block of Adams Boulevard. Firefighters, the first to arrive, were met by a bloodied, hysterical woman.
Firefighters rushed in and found Austell atop the child in an upstairs apartment as another woman tried to pull the girl free. Firefighters wrestled with the man and restrained him until police arrived, said Officer Jason Lee, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Before Austell was jailed, he was taken to Midway Hospital Medical Center, where he was sedated.
Police said Austell and the child’s aunt are separated.
Details of the child’s injuries were not released. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Her mother and aunt suffered cuts and bruises.
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