A Spirit Lake man admitted Tuesday, Sept. 17, to beating a baby so badly that the child required months-long hospitalization.
Jonathan James Hill, 22, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He’s scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 16.
Hill hit the 20-month-old boy and shoved him into the wall between Dec. 26, 2018, and Jan. 1. When first responders were called to the home on New Year’s Day, the baby was “noticeably bruised to face and entire body,” a press release from North Dakota’s U.S. Attorney’s office said.
The baby’s family took to social media to share their story and initially urging the public to help locate Hill. They said the baby was airlifted from Devils Lake’s CHI Hospital to receive more intensive medical attention in Fargo. He underwent multiple surgeries and the family said his brain was bleeding. He was hospitalized for months.
Doctors determined the injuries were non-accidental, the release said.
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Hill faces a minimum 10-year sentence.
