Police arrested a Florida man on Monday after one of his twin babies sustained head trauma while in his care.
News4Jax reports that Brendan Rehmer, 19, of Neptune Beach, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after a physician confirmed his infant daughter sustained head trauma from either excessive shaking or slamming the the baby’s head.
The twins’ mother, Emily Frazier, told police that she no longer lives with Rehmer. She said he still had visitation rights to the babies, with the stipulation that he never be alone with him. On the day in question, Rehmer was home alone.
Frazier said she dropped the babies off as she always did, but had a foreboding sense that something awful would happen. She brushed off the feeling and dropped the twin girls off with their father.
“It’s like every time they go over there now, my gut’s telling me something bad is going to happen.”
Rehmer and his family had the twin girls for a weekend. Family members left him alone with babies one night when the alleged incident occurred. Rehmer denied the incident and stated the baby was “lifeless” after he changed her diaper.
“He told me that he was changing her diaper because she was cranky and once he got done, he had picked her up and she was lifeless,” Frazier said.
The medical report on the injured infant, however, paints a completely different story. According to court documents, medical records indicated that the little girl had “subdural brain hemorrhage in the front and rear portions of her brain.” A nurse said Rehmer’s story didn’t match up with the “abusive head trauma” found on the baby.
Frazier said she doesn’t believe her ex, who continues to deny any involvement.
“I was heartbroken that she was there. All I could do was cry and hope that my baby was OK…..I don’t feel like he’s innocent. I feel like he’s guilty for what he did to my daughter.”
Mere hours after his arrest, Rehmer posted his $75,000 and walked free. His family declined to comment on the incident.
The little girl is expected to recover fully.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional become available.
[Feature Photo: Police Handout]