West Valley parents arrested in abuse of 3-month-old with 4 broken bones

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — The parents of a 3-month-old child have been arrested for investigation of child abuse after the infant girl was found to have multiple broken bones, according to police.

Joseph Michael Christopher Coleman, 31, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of two counts of aggravated child abuse, while Jacob Alex Coleman, 30, was arrested for investigation of child abuse.

On Tuesday, the baby was taken to Primary Children’s Hospital where doctors discovered she had “two fractures on her tibia, a fracture on her femur, and a fracture on one of her ribs,” according to a police booking affidavit.

Doctors later told police that “the rib fracture and a fracture in the femur have already started healing which shows they were approximately two weeks old and did not occur the same time as the two fractures to the tibia,” the affidavit states. Detectives were also informed that these types of injuries “are usually caused by someone pulling the leg extremely hard with an abrupt movement such as shaking.”

While Jacob Coleman was talking to the medical staff, he stated, “We know we messed up,” doctors told police, according to the affidavit.

When questioned by police, Joseph Coleman said, “it was his fault, and he may have been too aggressive” while changing the girl’s diaper, the affidavit alleges. “While putting Joseph into handcuffs, Joseph stated he knew he messed up.”