Babysitter accused of slapping baby ‘as hard as you would an adult,’ causing brain bleed, police say

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - A woman in Indiana is accused of slapping a 7-month-old baby “as hard as you would slap an adult,” resulting in a brain bleed, according to authorities.

Emily Duran, 27, is charged with felony neglect of a dependent and battery with serious bodily injury.

In early December, a Fort Wayne Police Department officer was dispatched to a hospital. There, the parents of a 7-month-old boy said they left their child in Duran’s care. They said the child was fine when they left at about 6:50 a.m.

When they came home shortly after 5 p.m., the parents said, Duran left quickly, and one of the parents saw bruising on the baby’s face, court documents say.

Duran later texted one of the parents and said the victim had fallen.

The parents then recorded a phone call with Duran, during which she allegedly said the boy fell off a bench while they were at a park.

The officer was given photos of the baby, which showed he had “deep purple bruising” covering both sides of his face from his jaw line to his hair line.

A trauma surgeon at the hospital told police the child had a bleed.

During an interview with Duran, she allegedly admitted to slapping the victim across the face, then backhanding him across the other side of his face.

She also allegedly admitted that she “slapped him as hard as you would slap an adult.”

Last week, another doctor who examined the child said, “There is no explanation other than child abuse,” court documents say.

He further said the injuries were “inflicted” and “non-accidental.”