Nathaniel Bridges has pleaded guilty to felonious assault in the abuse of a 2-year-old boy identified as Jahsani. Investigators said the toddler suffered a fractured jaw, fractured spine and lacerated liver while in Bridges' care. Bridges later dropped the boy off at a friend's house, where the friend called police after seeing his condition.
Bridges initially faced child-endangerment charges before pleading guilty to one count of felonious assault, as reported by WSYX. Franklin County Municipal Court records reported by 10TV show Bridges dropped the boy off at a home and told the homeowner that Jahsani's mother had been arrested. When the homeowner asked about the boy's swollen jaw, Bridges did not answer.
Rushed to Nationwide Children's Hospital
At Nationwide Children's Hospital, doctors found bruising across Jahsani's body, along with the fractured jaw and spine and the liver laceration. The boy's father later told 10TV that Jahsani also had brain bleeding and was in critical condition. His family said he later showed signs of improvement.
Nationwide Children's Hospital is a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, a status it holds through re-verification from the American College of Surgeons through March 2029, according to the Ohio Emergency Medical Services agency — the kind of specialized pediatric trauma care the toddler's injuries required.
Manhunt Ended With SWAT Arrest
Bridges was not immediately taken into custody. He was later apprehended by SWAT officers, per the same 10TV account. Public jail records reviewed by Franklin County Mugshots Zone show Nathaniel Lee Bridges, 22, was formally booked into the Franklin County Corrections Center the following day, on May 14, 2025, on the initial child endangerment charges that preceded his grand jury indictment and eventual assault plea.
Sentence in the case
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.11, knowingly causing serious physical harm to another person is prosecuted as a second-degree felony, carrying a base statutory sentence of two to eight years in state prison and fines of up to $15,000, according to Smith Law. Because Ohio's Reagan Tokes Law applies to qualifying second-degree felony convictions committed after March 2019, a judge must set a minimum prison term while automatically establishing a maximum term equal to that minimum plus 50%, the Supreme Court of Ohio explains in its sentencing guidance. WSYX reported that Bridges received an indefinite sentence of 7 to 10.5 years in prison.
The case unfolded in Franklin County. Franklin County Children Services handles reports of child abuse and neglect.
Related case and child-safety resources
WCMH-TV reported a separate Columbus case in which 6-year-old Eva Bretz died on April 13 and her mother, Ashley Fagan, faced murder and child-abuse-related charges. That case involved a fatal outcome and different charges from Bridges' case, in which the 2-year-old survived and Bridges pleaded guilty. Anyone concerned about suspected child abuse or neglect in Franklin County can contact Franklin County Children Services' 24-hour hotline at (614) 229-7000, according to the agency. Statewide, suspected abuse can also be reported anonymously through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth's 855-O-H-CHILD line at 855-642-4453, according to the department.
