2 face felony child abuse charges

Published 6:04 pm Wednesday, October 7, 2020

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NATCHEZ — Natchez police officers have charged a Natchez couple with felony child abuse after responding to a Monday call of a 3-month-old baby having problems breathing at the Holiday Apartments.

Upon arrival, police said Natchez Police Officer Makenzi Taylor picked the baby up and rubbed the baby’s back in an effort to soothe the breathing.

AMR ambulance personnel arrived and instructed Taylor to enter the ambulance and to begin CPR.

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“While at the hospital, nurses discovered signs of potential abuse and notified the Natchez Police Department,” states a Natchez Police Department press release. “The baby was transported by Air Evac to a children’s hospital capable of handling the level of trauma the baby was suffering.”

During the course of the investigation Natchez police investigators determined that the baby exhibited classical injuries of shaken baby syndrome resulting in both acute and chronic brain bleeding, several different fractured bones of which showed signs of calcification indicating an older fracture as well as new fractures, the press release states.

“Investigators charged the mother, Jabreunna Thomas, 20, and the father, Davion Minor, 21, with felony child abuse resulting in serious injury,” the press release states. “Any person upon conviction shall be sentenced by the court to imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not less than five (5) years and up to life, as determined by the court.”

Thomas and Minor went before the judge for arraignment Wednesday afternoon and bond was set at $750,000 each, the press release states.

“They are currently being held at the Adams County Jail,” the press release states.

The baby was in the ICU unit of the Children’s Hospital Wednesday afternoon under stable but critical condition.