Rogers man sentenced in children's beating

BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers man claimed stress led him to injure two children, causing skull and leg fractures in one.

Shawn Charles Tabor, 27, pleaded guilty today to battery in the first degree and second-degree domestic battery.

Tabor admitted in court to injuring his 2-month-old daughter and a 1-year-old boy.

"Why are you beating up on babies," Circuit Judge Robin Green asked Tabor.

Tabor said he had under a lot of stress.

"That's no excuse, Mr. Tabor," the judge said.

Tabor was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction.

Rogers police began investigating July 4 after the 2-month-old was brought to the Mercy Hospital emergency room. Doctors determined the child had a fractured skull, along with a bleeding on her brain. She was later transferred to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo., according to a probable cause affidavit.

Detectives interviewed Emily Paquin, the children's mother, and she reported Tabor, her daughter's father, told her he tripped over the edge of the bed and the girl landed in a rocker, according to the affidavit.

Detectives interviewed Tabor and Paquin at the Springfield hospital July 7. The child was being treated for a skull fracture, fractured right femur, fractured right tibia in two places and a fractured left tibia, according to court documents.

The child's attending physician told detectives the leg fractures were in various stages of healing, indicating not all of the fractures occurred at one time, according to the affidavit.

Paquin told detectives Tabor told her the 1-year-old must have slipped in some water in the bathroom and hit his face on the side of the shower, according to court documents.

Tabor initially told police he tripped and the child landed in the rocker. Tabor later told to police he was watching his daughter and he became mad because he couldn't stop her from crying. He told police he threw his daughter 6 to 10 feet onto the couch but didn't see her land because he left the room, according to the affidavit.

He also admitted to grabbing the child by her legs and swinging her to another part of the couch. Tabor said he also dropped his daughter and she landed in the rocker, according to the affidavit.

Carrie Dobbs, deputy prosecutor, told Green the children's mother was on board with the plea agreement. he said the agreement was offered because of Tabor's lack of criminal history and because Tabor accepted responsibility for his actions.

Dobbs told the judge the girl has recovered from her injuries.

He will have to serve at least five years in prison before he will be eligible for parole. He received 194 days of jail credit for the time he spent in the Benton County Jail awaiting his trial.

NW News on 01/17/2018

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