The parents of a 2-month-old infant are in custody today after being charged in Independence County Circuit Court with first-degree domestic battery.
According to an affidavit of probable cause for arrest filed Thursday, the grandmother of the child brought the infant to White River Medical Center on Feb. 20 with a urinary tract infection and an unspecified superficial mouth injury.
The court information noted the baby had been left at the grandmother’s house by the parents on Feb. 19. The next day, the grandmother brought the child to the hospital because the baby was not eating and had a growth under the tongue, the affidavit said. Doctors said the mouth injury was consistent with force-feeding and also said the infant had injuries consistent with child abuse, according to the court information.
The affidavit said when the parents of the child — identified as Harlan Fredrick Steinert, 29, and Cassandra Dee Smith, 29 — were brought in to be interviewed by law enforcement, Steinert was uncooperative at times, telling authorities his stepmother was trying to take away the couple’s children.
When asked who might have been responsible for the 2-month-old’s injuries, Steinert stated to authorities he had a 1-year-old who is a “rough kid” that “tries to help around the house and has tried to feed the small child,” the affidavit said.
Due to the child’s injuries, the Department of Human Services (DHS) was contacted and officials came to the hospital to talk with the parents. After that interview, the child was put into DHS custody along with two other children that lived with the couple, the affidavit noted.
The court record said a drug screen was performed on the couple during their DHS interview and found that Steinert and Smith both tested positive for meth and THC, along with other drugs.
According to the court documents, a skeletal survey later done on the child at Arkansas Children’s Hospital showed the infant had breaks healing in both legs and multiple rib fractures in addition to the mouth injuries.
As of Friday, Steinert and Smith were still in custody.
Judge Chaney Taylor put each on $250,000 bonds.
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