BENTONVILLE -- A Rogers man pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he abused two children.
Shawn Charles Tabor, 27, is charged with first-degree battery and second-degree domestic battery. He entered the not guilty plea at his arraignment before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green.
At a glance
Shawn Charles Tabor faces from 10 to 40 years or life imprisonment if convicted of first-degree battery, a Class Y felony. He faces from 3 to 10 years in prison if convicted of second-degree domestic battery.
— Staff report
Tabor is accused of causing injuries to a 2-month-old girl and 1-year-old boy, according to court documents.
Rogers police began investigating July 4 when the 2-month-old child 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 the probable affidavit.
Detectives interviewed Emily Paquin, the child'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 also obtained a photograph showing a large bruise on on the the right side of the 1-year-old boy's face. Detectives believe the bruise was caused by an open hand slap, according to court documents.
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.
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 again Tabor told her he had tripped and their daughter landed in the rocker. She 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 isn't the biological father of the older child, 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. Tabor 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.
Tabor denied causing any injuries to the boy.
Tabor was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $50,000 bond.
NW News on 08/29/2017