Bentleyville man charged in violent assault on toddler
A Bentleyville man is behind bars after police allege he brutally attacked a 2-year-old Belle Vernon girl he was baby-sitting because she was crying.
Joshua Nathaniel Tannous, 19, of 106 Piersol Ave. was charged Friday with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person following the alleged assault on Tuesday.
“It’s a bad one,” Southwest Regional police Chief John D. Hartman said.
“He didn’t use his fists, but he shook and slammed and dropped the child all because she was crying,” Hartman alleged.
According to investigating Officer Stephen T. Schwartz, police became involved in the investigation after being contacted by physicians at UPMC-Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Schwartz said that, through their investigation, police learned that Tannous had watched the girl and her younger sibling, a 6-month-old baby, on numerous occasions since January.
During that time, the toddler’s father said that he would frequently come home after leaving the children in Tannous’ care and find Tannous intoxicated, high or both, according to the criminal complaint.
Schwartz said that the father also reported to police that the children had suffered minor injuries while in Tannous’ care in the past, including a burn on the body of the infant.
Officers said they learned that on Feb. 4, Tannous arrived at the family’s home on Johnston Street to baby-sit.
During that day, Tannous admitted to police that he drank one-quarter of a bottle of whiskey and also smoked marijuana before becoming enraged at the toddler because she would not go to sleep, police said.
Tannous told investigators that he entered the child’s bedroom and assaulted her and described the incident as a “blur” because he was “so mad.”
After the attack, Schwartz said Tannous fell asleep on the sofa and didn’t wake up for nine hours after the girl’s father arrived back at the residence.
Hartman said that the toddler suffered two broken collar bones, a broken scapula and bruises and lacerations to her head and face.
Dr. Jennifer Wolford described the attack as “violent and “abusive” and said the injuries were consistent with assault.
“These injuries caused severe pain from the moment they occurred,” Wolford said. “This child could not raise her arms over her head without excruciating pain.”
Tannous was placed in Fayette County Prison on $35,000 straight cash bond following his arraignment.
He will face a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Feb. 14 before Magisterial District Judge Richard Kasunic II.
Hartman said Friday that the incident remains under investigation.