A 32-year-old man was arrested after his girlfriend noticed multiple injuries on her 3-year-old son after the man babysat the child while she was at work, prosecutors said.
Jose Pineda-Carrillo, 32, of North Chicago, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a child and two counts of domestic battery causing bodily harm.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Russell Caskey said Pineda-Carrillo is in a dating relationship with a woman, who has a 3-year-old child and a 1-year-old child.
The North Chicago Police Department responded to a call from the woman regarding the abuse of her children.
Officers learned Pineda-Carrillo moved in with the woman a little over a week ago.
Pineda-Carrillo was supposed to watch the two children while the mother was at work, Caskey said.
The mother began noticing injuries to her 3-year-old child.
The child had no injuries on August 21 and the mother went to work. Pineda-Carrillo brought the child to the mother’s work to visit that day.
The woman observed her 3-year-old to have injuries, including bruising and swelling to the right cheek area, Caskey said.
Pineda-Carrillo told his girlfriend that he was driving and had to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident, which caused the injury to the child.
Two days later, Pineda-Carrillo brought the 3-year-old boy and his brother to visit their mother at work again.
The woman observed multiple burn marks on the 3-year-old’s upper right thigh and upper left thigh, Caskey said.
On Saturday, the mother observed the child to have additional injuries to his facial area.
The woman spoke to Pineda-Carrillo and he stated the child had been “messing around” in the bathroom so he disciplined him with a phone cable.
When the mother and Pineda-Carrillo were discussing the issue, the child blurted out “he did it,” according to Caskey.
The officers observed injuries to the child’s face, including bruising.
Caskey said the child also had injuries on the left side of his neck and a broken blood vessel in his left eye.
There were marks around his back consistent with a phone cable.
Pineda-Carrillo fled the scene before police arrived after the woman told him that she was calling 911, Caskey said.
The child was transported to a hospital and the Department of Children and Family Services was notified.
Police are also investigating whether Pineda-Carrillo caused injuries to the 1-year-old child.
Lake County Judge Bolling Haxall ordered Pineda-Carrillo held in the Lake County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 21.