LEBANON, Indiana — A Greencastle man is facing two felony charges after being accused of biting a newborn baby in November 2022.
The suspect, 24-year-old Gavan Rogers, told police he gave the baby "love bites" but must have nibbled too hard, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The baby was at Witham Hospital in Lebanon for a newborn checkup when staff sent her to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, according to our newsgathering partners at the Lebanon Reporter. A Riley doctor reportedly found several areas of bruising, including some with teeth marks.
Some nurses at Witham had expressed concern about sending the baby home with Rogers and the baby's mother after her birth. They told police Rogers called the baby "ungrateful" and "evil," according to court records. One nurse reported, "I am not comfortable sending this baby home to the care of the father of the baby."
Photos showed mouth-shaped bruises on the baby's shoulder, forearms, stomach, knee and leg, according to the probable cause affidavit. Police determined the person responsible had to have used "excessive force, which would have caused severe pain."
Rogers is scheduled to have an initial hearing in Boone County on Friday.
