KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Authorities say a person of interest was taken into custody in connection to the abuse of a 2-month-old in Kalamazoo.
On Tuesday, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety said it received a report from Children’s Protective Services of a 2-month-old baby being treated for potentially life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.
After interviewing witnesses, KDPS said investigators executed a search at a home on Garland Avenue near Duke Street, where they found evidence related to the investigation and a person of interest was taken into custody.
Steven Budde said the mother and father of the child had been living with him at Cherry Knoll condos in Kalamazoo.
Budde said the father has shown anger issues but he didn’t notice possible signs of child abuse until this week. Sunday night, he said the infant was taken to the hospital for an arm injury and then later for a severe head injury.
Budde doesn’t know how the injuries occurred, but he fears the worst.
“When I think of that child with tubes on a ventilator, needles, all of these things to keep him alive and the damage that was done, I wonder how anyone could do that to anyone, let alone an innocent baby who can do nothing wrong,” Budde said.
Budde is also encouraging others to say something if they hear or see something.
“If it doesn’t feel right, chances are it probably isn’t and instead of saying, ‘You didn’t do this or you didn’t do that,’ they need to step in and do something. And that’s all I wanted to do was step in and help this child before something happened. Obviously, I didn’t quite make that and I wish it had gone differently,” Budde said.
Police have not said who they have in custody and the Kalamazoo County prosecutor said the case has not been forwarded to his office yet for charges.
The baby remains in the hospital. The child’s condition is unknown. The case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the KDPS Criminal Investigation Division at 269.337.8139 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.
