Dad furious over lost vape 'battered newborn and left baby with brain damage'

A 20-year-old father has been accused of brutally assaulting his newborn son and leaving him with brain damage after flying into a rage when he couldn't find his vape.

Hunter Dalton, from Ohio, US, was arrested last week and charged with one count of felonious assault, one count of domestic violence by assault, and one count of assault. Policereceived a call at around 12.30pm on Friday to reports of a domestic incident at an apartment complex around 150 miles south-west of Cleveland. The 911 call came from the child's mother, who was hiding with her dog in the leasing office of the apartment building. She told dispatchers that Dalton had just threatened to kill her and their one-month-old baby, The Columbus Dispatch reported. When officers arrived, they found the mother still in the leasing office while Dalton was outside the couple's apartment. He was taken into custody immediately, while police walked in to find the baby in his cot struggling to breathe.

Paramedics rushed the infant to Nationwide Children's Hospital, six miles away. Doctors there told authorities the newborn was suffering from bleeding on the brain as well as brain damage, but is expected to survive.

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In an interview with investigators, the child's mother alleged Dalton had also strangled her the previous day, according to Columbus ABC affiliate WSYX. Speaking about the day of the assault, she said Dalton had reportedly grown angry after waking up and failing to find his vape device. His temper worsened when she refused to help him search because she was caring for their baby, and when he noticed the family dog had chewed tissues in the home.

Dalton then allegedly threw her to the ground, kicked the dog, hurled a fan across the room and threatened to kill both her and the infant. She told officers Dalton's "anger issues" had worsened since the baby's arrival, describing him as "overwhelmed" and easily irritated. Dalton, however, denied harming his son. He reportedly told investigators that all he did was move the baby from his bouncy seat into the cot.

Whitehall's Chief Deputy of Police Shawn Wilson told WSYX: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the young child who was the victim of this horrific act. We remain hopeful for his full recovery and ask the community to join us in supporting him and his family during this difficult time. We also want to commend the outstanding work of our patrol and detective divisions, whose response to this case was marked by professionalism, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to justice. This is an ongoing investigation and we will provide updates as necessary."

Dalton is being held at the Franklin County Correction Centre on a $1 million (£750,000) bail. If released, he is barred from making threats, possessing a firearm, consuming alcohol, or contacting the victims. He is due to appear in court on September 29 for trial.