A man from Mableton, Georgia, was found with a baby girl in his care who had suffered severe injuries. The man is reportedly blaming those injuries on “paranormal spirits," according to a Cobb County warrant, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Local police were responding to a call about a person down on April 20, according to WSB-TV, and Juan Francisco Lobo Hernandez was present at the home when authorities arrived. They also found a baby girl who had severe head trauma as well as other injuries.
Hernandez reportedly said he believed the baby was possessed and that he could have been possessed as well. He was arrested on several charges on April 25 but is out of jail on bond, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. His relationship to the baby has not been confirmed.
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The man reportedly claimed spirits were trying to bring suffering to his family.
Authorities said when they arrived at the home, the baby girl who was in Hernandez's care was not breathing properly and was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
When Hernandez was questioned by authorities, he reportedly said "he believes paranormal activity has been conducted by spirits or a bad person who attempted to make his family suffer,” per the news outlet.
Medical experts said the baby's injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma to the head.
The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta child protection team reportedly told authorities the infant had suffered respiratory failure, retinal hemorrhages, complex skull fractures, and intracranial hemorrhages, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Per the warrant, medical experts stated that the infant’s injuries were "consistent with forceful rotational injury to the brain and could have not been self-inflicted,” the news outlet reported.
Hernandez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and first-degree child cruelty but is out on bail.
He was charged with aggravated assault with the intent to disfigure and first-degree child cruelty when he was arrested on April 25, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Though he was booked into Cobb County Jail, records showed he was released on a $33,220 bond the following day, the news outlet reported. It is unknown at this time whether he has gotten legal representation.
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The public is appalled and outraged that Hernandez is out on bail given the charges he faces.
People online have expressed disbelief that Hernandez was out on bail after the harm he allegedly caused to the baby girl.
“This does not sound like 'serious' injuries but rather traumatic and probably long term damaging, even possibly fatal. Why is he out on bail?” one person commented on a Yahoo! News story.
“Oh my lord, this guy needs to be locked up for life and the fact they let this monster out on bond just proves a point to why crime is so high in the country," someone else wrote. "I pray this guy doesn't hurt someone else or else the judge who let this guy out on bond needs to be removed from their position as they are incompetent.”
“Why was this guy even given bond? He should not be free to walk the streets," another comment reads. "If he will do this to a child, no one is safe.”
