A 2-month-old Livingston County infant is in critical condition at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and Fowlerville police are investigating what they describe as suspected child abuse and neglect involving the baby’s minor parents.
Child Protective Services (CPS) called Fowlerville police on Monday morning after the infant was admitted to Mott Children’s with life-threatening injuries, according to ClickOnDetroit. Officers met CPS caseworkers and hospital staff at the Ann Arbor facility as the investigation began.
Investigators say medical teams found evidence of earlier trauma, with injuries in different stages of healing. Those preliminary findings are “consistent with child abuse and neglect,” WILX reports. Because both parents are juveniles, authorities are withholding names and other identifying details.
Police say the case is active and that detectives are working alongside doctors as they try to stabilize the infant and gather medical records, expert evaluations and other evidence before anything is handed to prosecutors, ClickOnDetroit reports. For now, officials are keeping a tight lid on additional details while interviews continue.
The Fowlerville Police Department has called in backup. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, including its detective bureau and crime-scene unit, is assisting with interviews and evidence collection, according to WHMI. Investigators have asked for patience as the multi-agency probe moves forward.
Infant Treated At Regional Pediatric Trauma Center
The baby is being treated at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, a regional pediatric center with a Level I pediatric trauma program that handles the most serious child-injury cases from across southeast Michigan, according to University of Michigan Health. In cases like this, hospital staff typically coordinate closely with CPS and law enforcement while documenting injuries and ordering specialist evaluations.
Under Michigan’s CPS investigation guidance, those medical records and expert opinions often become key pieces of evidence that inform whether prosecutors pursue charges and what those charges might be.
Juvenile Parents And Legal Complications
Because both parents are minors, officials are limiting what they release publicly while CPS and investigators complete their review. Juvenile status can complicate how much information authorities share and how prosecutors proceed, as Michigan’s CPS process requires risk assessments and case categorizations before a referral is made, according to Michigan Legal Help.
If CPS determines there is a preponderance of evidence of abuse, the agency can refer the case to prosecutors, and it may move forward in civil court, criminal court, or both, depending on the findings.
How The Public Can Help Investigators
Fowlerville police and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office are asking anyone with potentially relevant video, photos or information to contact their departments so detectives can follow up.
To report suspected child abuse anywhere in Michigan, people can call MDHHS Centralized Intake at 1-855-444-3911, which takes reports 24 hours a day and starts the CPS screening process, according to MDHHS.
