HARRISBURG, Pa. – A Harrisburg man is headed to trial on aggravated assault charges involving a 6 month old baby. Starlee Dennis, 39, appeared before a preliminary hearing this morning. In addition to the aggravated assault charges he faces one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
The charges stem from an incident last January, when the child, in his care, was rushed to the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital in critical condition. The hospital notified authorities after discovering that the infant had suffered 10 rib fractures, bleeding on the brain, blood in his spinal cord, swelling to the ligaments of his neck and extensive retinal hemorrhaging and evidence of blunt force trauma to the baby’s abdomen.
Medical personnel indicated to investigating authorities that many of the injuries were acute and that they occurred close in time to the infant’s admission to the hospital. When a Harrisburg police detective and caseworkers from Dauphin County Children 7 Youth interviewed Dennis, he confirmed that he was the sole caretaker of the infant on the morning of January 2. The baby’s mother was at work at the time of the incident.
Formal arraignment for Dennis is scheduled for October 1.
