"Newborn Jane" HILT - 3 Months/ Accused: Father-Jonh Jay Hilt - Sioux Falls SD

A Sioux Falls father is behind bars tonight after police accuse him of abusing his 3 month old daughter.

John
Jay Hilt, who is 33 years old faces 3 felony charges of child abuse and
one count of aggravated assault, all actions police say he committed
against his own child. It all started with a trip to the hospital, it
was then doctors determined the infant’s injuries were not accidental
and they notified police.

“That was the incident that lead to us
being called, once the infant was at the hospital, then they found these
other injuries they called us,” say Officer Sam Clemens with the Sioux
Falls Police Department.

On March 2, emergency responders were
called to a home on the 6800 block of West 47th street for a baby who
was not breathing. According to police the child was taken to Sanford
hospital and it was there, doctor's noticed something wasn't right.

Clemens
says, “There had been some prior injuries and some of those had been
healing, and then there were some new injuries as well.”

According
to court documents, the child had massive injuries to the brain,
including brain bleeds, and retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes. As the
investigation progressed, attention was turned to John Hilt. In court
papers, the infant's mother says she had witnessed him being rough with
the baby and even Hilt himself admitted to shaking the child and
striking the back of her head. In documents, Hilt claims he was stressed
about financial issues and even though he says he doesn't remember
hurting her, the court ordered police to make an arrest.

Clemens
says, “I don't want to label somebody as a suspect, there was enough to
charge the dad whether or not there will be any other charges will be
up to the State's Attorney's Office.”

As for the 3 month old
girl, police say her condition is improving. She has since been moved
from intensive care into a different unit.

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