Tulsa Father Arrested For Critically Injuring 5-Week-Old Baby

Police say baby Bragg has broken ribs, bruises on her head and chest, a bite mark, bleeding in the brain and injuries to her genitals.

Friday, September 19th 2014, 6:02 pm

By: News On 6


A Tulsa man is behind bars, accused of abusing his 5-week-old daughter, who is in critical condition on Friday.

Police say she has broken ribs, bruises on her head and chest, a bite mark, bleeding in the brain and injuries to her genitals.

Her family says the baby has a 40 percent chance of survival and they are devastated and in shock.

Her family says she was a miracle baby because the baby's mother didn't think she could have children.

"My daughter wasn't, was told she couldn't get pregnant,” grandfather Jeff Slader said. “We found out she was and everybody was ecstatic about it."

Slader says he took care of baby Bragg on Sunday and thought everything was fine and was supposed to watch her again on Friday, but he got a call that she was in the hospital with terrible injuries.

Police arrested the baby's father, 28-year-old Robert Bragg.

A report says he told officers she got the bruises when he hit her "head on the changing table" and "pressed his finger into her face to force her to turn her head."

The report says he picked her up and "squeezed her around the ribs" and shook her "5-6 times."

He also said he caused the bite mark by "biting it" while they were "playing."

It says he also admitted injuring her genitals.

"It's extremely hard to believe anybody could do something like this, let alone somebody you've known for a while,” Slader said.

He says he's known Bragg for the past year and never even heard him raise his voice in anger.

Their whole focus now is praying for the baby's recovery.

Child crisis detectives served a search warrant at Bragg's home to look for and collect possible evidence.

Officers say no matter the stress or the situation, never take it out on a child.

"If things become absolutely overbearing, walk away, call for help," TPD Child Crisis Detective Mike Brown said.

Bragg was booked into jail for five counts of child abuse with a $250,000 bond.

Court records show his wife filed for and received an emergency protective order against Bragg Friday.


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