An Everett baby sitter was charged Friday with first-degree assault of a child for allegedly causing brain damage, broken ribs and other injuries to a 1-year-old boy.
Matthew P. Christiansen, 32, was being held on $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Prosecutors allege that Christiansen had been watching the boy when the child suffered a broken jaw, cracked ribs and a fractured arm. The infant also had bleeding inside his skull and multiple bruises.
Craig Matheson, deputy prosecutor, said in court charging papers that the child has apparent permanent brain injuries.
A doctor told prosecutors that bruises on the boy’s body were in “highly unusual locations for a child his age,” documents said.
A fracture to the right jaw was caused by a blunt blow. The doctor told prosecutors the brain injury could have been caused by shaking, an impact or both, documents said.
The rib fractures “were caused by squeezing the chest,” Matheson said.
The prosecutor quoted the doctor who said: “It is highly unlikely that this complete assortment of injuries occurred either by a fall down the stairs or by rough play by young children.”
Christiansen told authorities several versions of how the boy was injured, including that the boy fell down a stairway, according to documents.
Matheson alleged that the boy had been abused over several days.
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