GUILTY MI - David Steiger for child abuse, Sparta, 2013

Flutterby80

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I have avoided posting this just because I get on here and start reading and I just get so sad and angry, and I hate to add to it. But this tiny little guy deserves to have his story told too, so regretfully here it is. A 19 year-old father arrested when his 20 day-old son was taken to the hospital and found to have 19 fractures. A broken bone for every day of your life. Broken by your own daddy. What a horrible start you've had, little one. :stormingmad:

http://fox17online.com/2013/07/08/p...es-teen-dad-charged-with-abuse/#axzz2ZoyeuPGq
A 19-year-old father was arrested after police in Sparta found broken bones on his newborn boy.
David Steiger was taken into custody on July 2 and charged with first-degree child abuse July 5. He is being held at the Kent County Jail on a $100,000 bond, and could face life in prison if convicted.

Here is a jailhouse interview with father of the year. He is accusing his 20 day-old son of causing his own injuries during a diaper change. Right. Oh, and the evil couch also might have caused the injuries. Because we here at Websleuths are well acquainted with the evil couch theory. Father of the year doesn't really know for sure, because he "blacked out" as he says in one of the links below.
fox17online.com/2013/07/11/father-accused-of-child-abuse-says-accident-caused-babys-injuries/#axzz2ZoyeuPGq

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/07/state_looks_to_terminate_paren.html
State authorities are looking to terminate the parental rights of a Sparta father and mother whose infant had 19 fractured bones.

news.yahoo.com/video/teen-dad-charged-abusing-newborn-151241817.html
Video with pictures of precious Jaxson and an interview with a friend of the parents who says dad was afraid to take baby to the doctor because "Protective Services would be all over him". The friend convinced him to take Jaxson in because the baby was gasping for air. Dirtbag, I mean the father, stated during his interview that HE was the one who decided to take the baby in. Somebody is lying. Anyone care to place bets on who?
 
Good grief. I don't know what else to say....

A sobering reminder while people are going into overdrive about the birth of one baby, born into Royalty and destined for a life of privilege, how many more are born to suffer squalor and abuse?

Thank god someone intervened before the child died.
 
Good grief. I don't know what else to say....

A sobering reminder while people are going into overdrive about the birth of one baby, born into Royalty and destined for a life of privilege, how many more are born to suffer squalor and abuse?

Thank god someone intervened before the child died.

I am hoping against hope that mom is not involved, although I don't know how she couldn't have known something was very wrong. Jaxson had to be in severe pain.
 
Poor little mite.

I just hope he gets he put into a good foster home, or adopted, and given a better life than the one he suffered for the first 20 days.
 
Babies have very soft and flexible bones. I can't even imagine what force Dad would have had to use to fracture them. As for Mom, she's not fit to parent either it would appear. With fractures come swelling, bruising, redness and inconsolable crying. I'm not sure how you miss that. Most of us know every square inch of our newborns and panic at the mere possibility our baby is in pain. :banghead:
 
For the love of all things decent in this world. That equates to almost a broken bone in every day of this poor little guys life.

It's so disheartening. We rejoice all over the world when the sweet Prince is born in England so loved. This poor baby Jaxson gets beaten by a "father" who claims he blacks out? How are the cards dealt in this life and why, why, why do all these kids we read about here get stuck with rotten parents?

He was arrested in January for something. Mugshot at link.


http://www.mugshotsworld.com/DAVID-JOSEPH-STEIGER-2
 
Also arrested in June 2012 -

Booking Date: 06/21/2012
DOB: 10/xx/1993
Location: Grand Rapids MI

http://grandrapidsmugshots.com/mug/david-joseph-steiger

Just a guess but I'm thinking drugs.

ETA - Poor little baby, bad enough he carries this DNA, hopefully the state will do right by this infant and get him adopted into a wonderful home with a loving family.
 
CPS documents reveal that David suffers from bipolar disorder and anxiety, and that he takes medication for these disorders. David also told police that he had a history of blacking out. David partially admits to being responsible for his son's injuries but alleges that Jaxson fell off a couch, as well, which caused the 17 other bone fractures. David also claims that Chelsea had nothing to do with their son's injuries.

http://www.examiner.com/article/sparta-man-alleges-accident-broke-19-bones-newborn-son-s-body

Mom may not have injured this little angel but she didn't run him to the doctor/hospital either. I just can't wrap my mind around anyone causing injury to their newborn infant. It goes against all the instincts we have to protect and care for our babies. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
 
Newborns don't have the ability to fall off the couch. Let alone enough times to break so many bones. Unless this sweet baby has Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) which literally means "imperfectly formed bone." People with osteogenesis imperfecta have a genetic defect that impairs the body's ability to make strong bones.

It's a rare condition, but it happens. However, with the fathers background, I think the cause is the father.

Poor wee one.

MOO

Mel
 
Is everyone absolutely SURE this baby doesn't have a bone disease?

I can't help but recall the parents of the baby that had several fractures, they were accused of abuse and the baby was put in foster care. While in foster care a doctor started suspecting a congenitial bone disease that causes random fractures.

Sad thing is the father was accused of the abuse, he ended up killing his wife himself 2 days before the state decided the baby was NOT abused and had medical problems. The baby went to live with the grandparents and died of natural causes several months later.

Article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...fany-daughter-Alyssa-taken-care-Colorado.html

I just hope the doctors are SURE this really was abuse and it is not a bone disease.
 
Is everyone absolutely SURE this baby doesn't have a bone disease?

I can't help but recall the parents of the baby that had several fractures, they were accused of abuse and the baby was put in foster care. While in foster care a doctor started suspecting a congenitial bone disease that causes random fractures.

Sad thing is the father was accused of the abuse, he ended up killing his wife himself 2 days before the state decided the baby was NOT abused and had medical problems. The baby went to live with the grandparents and died of natural causes several months later.

Article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...fany-daughter-Alyssa-taken-care-Colorado.html

I just hope the doctors are SURE this really was abuse and it is not a bone disease.

I was wondering the same thing.
I have 2 nephews that have Osteogenesis imperfecta that took FOREVER to diagnose.
 
Newborns don't have the ability to fall off the couch. Let alone enough times to break so many bones. Unless this sweet baby has Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) which literally means "imperfectly formed bone." People with osteogenesis imperfecta have a genetic defect that impairs the body's ability to make strong bones. He would probably die but still be more or less intact

It's a rare condition, but it happens. However, with the fathers background, I think the cause is the father.

Poor wee one.

MOO

Mel

I was thinking of that possibility as well. Hopefully they are checking it out. Cause to be honest, i don't see that many broken bones from "regular" abuse (in such a short time too). You could drop him from a window on to concrete and not have that many broken bones.

My cynical side says dad but i do have some honest concerns it could be medical rather than abuse. Or both. Perhaps he has it and when dad slapped him or twisted his arm etc. the bones would break.
 
Is everyone absolutely SURE this baby doesn't have a bone disease?

I can't help but recall the parents of the baby that had several fractures, they were accused of abuse and the baby was put in foster care. While in foster care a doctor started suspecting a congenitial bone disease that causes random fractures.

Sad thing is the father was accused of the abuse, he ended up killing his wife himself 2 days before the state decided the baby was NOT abused and had medical problems. The baby went to live with the grandparents and died of natural causes several months later.

Article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...fany-daughter-Alyssa-taken-care-Colorado.html

I just hope the doctors are SURE this really was abuse and it is not a bone disease.

omg how tragic. I know they have to intervene when they suspect abuse but dear god please be right. There was another case, wish i could remember the name of the woman, she was arrested and convicted of the death of two or three of her children. The state would not listen to any other theory but finally two outside scientists manage to prove they had an illness that metabolized something into ethylene glycol (antifreeze essentially which is what they said she killed them with). She was finally released but i think her marriage was destroyed.

I am on the fence on this one. solidly on the fence. Even his half confession doesn't sway me off it bc unless you know there is such a bone disease you almost half to believe it was something you did.
 
omg how tragic. I know they have to intervene when they suspect abuse but dear god please be right. There was another case, wish i could remember the name of the woman, she was arrested and convicted of the death of two or three of her children. The state would not listen to any other theory but finally two outside scientists manage to prove they had an illness that metabolized something into ethylene glycol (antifreeze essentially which is what they said she killed them with). She was finally released but i think her marriage was destroyed.

I am on the fence on this one. solidly on the fence. Even his half confession doesn't sway me off it bc unless you know there is such a bone disease you almost half to believe it was something you did.

BBM. Her name is Patricia Stallings. here is a link to her case but there are many other summaries of it as well by googling her name,
http://justicedenied.org/patriciastallings.htm

Back to the topic of the case in question, I hope they test for OI, rule out any other genetic causes and if the father did it, imprison him for a long time and never allow him to procreate or be around children ever again.
 
I was thinking of that possibility as well. Hopefully they are checking it out. Cause to be honest, i don't see that many broken bones from "regular" abuse (in such a short time too). You could drop him from a window on to concrete and not have that many broken bones.

My cynical side says dad but i do have some honest concerns it could be medical rather than abuse. Or both. Perhaps he has it and when dad slapped him or twisted his arm etc. the bones would break.

The injury dad copped to happened when dad pulled on this little guy's legs while changing his diaper. Assuming there is no underlying medical condition he would have had to really pulled with a tremendous amount of force to break both bones in his little leg. I haven't read where the other breaks occurred but if dad was intentionally hurting this baby, applying crushing force to his chest could add up to a number of broken ribs and would make sense that his breathing was labored.

Either way, intensional abuse or a medical condition that caused this baby's bones to break, the amount of pain he suffered in the first weeks of his life is just heartbreaking.
 
:rose::heartluv: :rose:


Dear LCM, I am so happy to see you back and posting your intelligent, informing, and sensible posts. We have missed you. Just don't overdo ... get plenty of rest.

I agree with your assessment the amount of pain he suffered in the first weeks of his life is just heartbreaking.
 
Newborns don't have the ability to fall off the couch. Let alone enough times to break so many bones. Unless this sweet baby has Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) which literally means "imperfectly formed bone." People with osteogenesis imperfecta have a genetic defect that impairs the body's ability to make strong bones.

It's a rare condition, but it happens. However, with the fathers background, I think the cause is the father.

Poor wee one.

MOO

Mel

I know a family of 5 children and 4 of the kids and the mom have this. There is a test for it. I would imagine it will be ruled out. The blacking out thing...from what I've seen in the past, this means "I did it but I know right from wrong, so I am trying to get people to believe I am not responsible for my actions". Well hate to tell you this, dirtbag, but we aren't buying it.
 
I know a family of 5 children and 4 of the kids and the mom have this. There is a test for it. I would imagine it will be ruled out. The blacking out thing...from what I've seen in the past, this means "I did it but I know right from wrong, so I am trying to get people to believe I am not responsible for my actions". Well hate to tell you this, dirtbag, but we aren't buying it.

It is often VERY difficult to diagnose. It took several doctors and a trip to Birmingham for my nephews to finally be diagnosed. They were late in their teen years before they got a proper diagnosis.

From the OI Foundation site:

http://www.oif.org/site/PageServer?pagename=DiagTest

Diagnosis

Diagnosing OI is primarily a clinical process. It is often difficult or inconclusive without a physician familiar with the disorder. Medical professionals seeking consults and/or parents seeking physicians familiar with OI are welcome to contact the OI Foundation for assistance.


Also:

http://www.oif.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Testing

Diagnosis for Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is primarily a clinical process. Because of this testing is usually done in conjunction with a clinical exam and a complete medical history conducted by a geneticist or an OI expert. Because there are different types of OI and differing degrees of severity, it cannot always be diagnosed at birth or during early infancy.
 
Testing for OI:
There are different types of tests that can be done to determine if your child has OI and/or to tell you what type of OI your child has. For some people this is very important, particularly if the child has a more mild case or if the family has been accused of child abuse. For other families a clinical diagnosis is sufficient and they feel no testing is needed. The tests available can take months to get results and often the results are not 100% accurate. Often a child CAN have OI even if the test comes back negative.

http://oi-child.tripod.com/id6.html
 
I wanted to look for an update on this case. I couldn't find any articles.
But I did search the inmate log for Kent County and David Steiger is still in custody.

Inmate Detail




Name: DAVID JOSEPH STEIGER
DOB: 10/09/1993
Sex: MALE
Race: WHITE
Book #: 1312725
RID #: 00310742
FBI #:
SID #:
Booking Date: 07/03/2013
Eye Color: HAZEL
Hair Color: BLONDE OR STRAWBERRY
Height: 600
Weight: 145


Facility: MAIN JAIL

Status: IN CUSTODY


https://www.accesskent.com/InmateLookup/showDetail.do?bookNo=1312725



His charges:

Arresting Agency: SPARTA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Arrest Report #: 131312

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Charge #: 1
Charge Description: CHILD ABUSE - 1ST DEGREE
District Court: 63RD DISTRICT COURT
District Court Case #: D132895FY
Circuit Court: 17TH CIRCUIT COURT
Circuit Court Case #: 1306993FC
Bond: $100000.00
Type of Bond: CASH OR SURETY BOND
Charge Disposition: PRETRIAL
Charge Disposition Date: 07/05/2013
Fines: $0.00

https://www.accesskent.com/InmateLookup/showCharge.do
 

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