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DEEP troopers were contacted by the Department of Children and Families on Thursday, Sept. 26 that an infant from Ashford, Connecticut, in Windham County, was being treated at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford with suspicious injuries all over her body.
According to DEEP, the doctors treating the 7-month old believed the injuries to be suspicious in nature and that they were indicative of abuse or neglect.
The infant suffered bruising on both sides of her face and eyes, as well as a petechial hemorrhage on both sides of her eyelids. The bruising extended from the eyes, along the side of her face to the infant’s ears.
“The injuries on the child at this time are considered to be highly suspicious and indicative of abuse or neglect,” police said.
According to the arrest warrant, Mullikin shared a home with the infant and her mother. Mullikin, working from home, was to take care of the victim. On the day of the alleged assault, the mother left for work at approximately 2:15 p.m. and the infant was fine. When she returned home at approximately 8:20 p.m. that night, the child had sustained the injuries.
There were reportedly two other incidents involving Mullikin and the infant.
A lengthy investigation into the assault led police to pursue an arrest warrant for Ashford resident Joseph Mullikin, who was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Mullikin was charged with risk of injury to a child, first-degree assault while showing extreme indifference to human life, and second-degree suffocation or strangulation. Bond was set by the court at $200,000 and Mullikin is scheduled to appear back in court on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
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