A Nashua father is behind bars after doctors treating his 3-month-old reportedly discovered about 30 bone fractures, including multiple broken ribs, both femurs and a clavicle. The alarming injuries have triggered serious criminal charges and a child-welfare response as authorities try to piece together how the baby was hurt.
According to Boston Herald reporting, 36-year-old Drew Babcock was arrested the evening of March 13 and is facing eight counts of first-degree assault, classified as domestic violence. A judge has ordered him held without bail, and an affidavit reviewed by the paper notes that he is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m.
What investigators say
Police say the investigation started when hospital staff contacted authorities about the infant’s extensive injuries. In a recorded statement described in the affidavit, Babcock said he had “lost control” because the baby was extremely colicky and admitted he repeatedly squeezed the infant around the chest, stomach and rib cage, according to the Boston Herald.
Charges, court orders and child-welfare steps
Court filings show prosecutors brought multiple first-degree assault counts and asked the judge to sharply limit Babcock’s access to his children. The court barred him from contacting either child unless the Division for Children, Youth and Families gives permission, and DCYF has put a safety plan in place for both the injured infant and an older sibling, according to court records.
Medical context
Medical specialists note that clusters of rib and long-bone fractures in very young infants are strong red flags for abusive head trauma or other non-accidental injury, since those patterns rarely line up with a simple household fall. The American Academy of Pediatrics says such fractures are often associated with violent shaking or blunt impact and are a major contributor to infant head-injury deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers detailed guidance to clinicians on how to diagnose and respond to suspected abusive head trauma.
What happens next
Babcock is due back in the 9th Circuit, Nashua District Court for a hearing, and prosecutors say the investigation is still active. Nashua police have asked anyone with information to call the department’s crime line at 603-589-1665.
