A Lakewood man was arrested and charged with first-degree assault of a child after his 2-month-old son was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Fernandez Manaia Fruean, 27, admitted to shaking the infant in frustration, causing significant injuries, according to Lakewood police reports.
The child, who is currently on life support, was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital on December 18, where doctors discovered a brain bleed, fractured ribs, and a broken collarbone.
During an interview with detectives, Fruean confessed to shaking the baby “vigorously” for five minutes in a fit of anger over the child’s crying.
Police reports indicate that after the incident, Fruean placed the infant face down in bed and went to sleep, delaying medical care for approximately six hours.
The infant’s mother, Tiare Tufono, was also interviewed but was not charged. She told investigators she woke up around 3 a.m. to see Fruean feeding the baby and later left the house to take relatives to school.
Upon returning home, she noticed the infant was unresponsive, prompting the couple to drive him to St. Clare Hospital instead of calling 911.
Police said this was not the first instance of reported abuse involving Fruean. He previously faced charges for injuries to another child and had completed parenting classes as part of his sentence.
Detectives noted inconsistencies in Fruean’s initial account of the events, which led to his eventual confession.
“During the interview and after he confessed, I never saw him become emotional,” one detective stated in the report.
Fruean was taken into custody and booked into Pierce County Jail. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have indicated that charges could be amended to first-degree murder if the infant does not survive.
Police served a search warrant at the family’s residence to collect evidence related to the investigation, including bedding and other items potentially linked to the abuse.
The infant remains in critical condition, and officials are working to determine the extent of his injuries.
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