BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A Belleville, Illinois, father was charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a child under 1 year old after the St. Clair Sheriff’s Department investigated injuries to the man's 3-month-old baby.
Caleb E. Manwell, 20, of Frieda Drive in Belleville was taken into custody Thursday for the class X felony, which in Illinois is the most serious felony offense. His bond was set at $500,000 and he remains in custody, according to the St. Clair sheriff's office.
The child was evaluated and transferred to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis with life-threatening injuries. If the baby's condition changes, more charges could be added.
Last Sunday, deputies were dispatched to Memorial Hospital Belleville to consider a case of possible child abuse.
St. Clair County deputies started to investigate the circumstances of the child's injuries, with help from the Child Death Investigation Task Force. The task force consisted of investigators from the Department of Children and Family Services, the Illinois State Police and local police investigators from O’Fallon and St. Clair counties.
It was determined that the child's father was the last person with the baby before the baby was injured. After completing the investigation, the father was taken into custody.
