Cops: Jefferson man posted admission on Facebook to dropping infant
A 25-year-old Jefferson resident was in custody Wednesday at the Morris County jail on charges of endangering the welfare of a five-month-old baby by dropping the infant, which he allegedly didn't tell police but admitted in a Facebook post.
Defendant Brendon Miller, of the Lake Hopatcong section of Jefferson, is charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child born in September 2016 by dropping the infant on Feb. 16 at his home and leaving out vital information when discussing the child's injuries with authorities.
Miller, who has prior convictions for shoplifting and stated during a court appearance Wednesday that he has been through substance abuse rehabilitation, appeared before Judge Joseph Deming in Morristown on Wednesday via a video-camera link between the Morris County jail and the courtroom.
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez told the judge the state has applied to have Miller detained pretrial in the jail until the charges are resolved. A hearing on whether he should be detained or released under specific conditions will be held April 27.
Criminal complaints filed in Morristown state that Miller caused serious bodily injury to the baby on Feb. 16 in Jefferson. Court records state the baby was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at Morristown Medical Center with a subdural hematoma, or bleeding on the brain.
Police interviewed various potential witnesses, including a person who stated that the infant was behaving normally and sleeping on his chest on Feb. 16. Miller - whose exact relationship to the baby was not detailed in the complaint - then allegedly took the baby and brought him or her into his bedroom. The gender of the child was not stated in the complaint.
The witness told police that he heard Miller having a telephone conversation during which he sounded agitated and was yelling. The witness then heard the baby begin to cry, which continued until the cries abruptly stopped, court records said.
The baby was then transported to the hospital by the witness and a second person and was later diagnosed with retinal hemorrhaging along with subdural hematomas. The baby has suffered multiple seizures since the incident but no longer is hospitalized, according to authorities and court records.
Nearly two weeks later, authorities learned that Miller had posted on Facebook that he "dropped" the infant, a fact he had not reported to police when he was interviewed, court records said.
Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.