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Chehalis dad arrested in shaken baby case

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Detectives yesterday arrested a 23-year-old Chehalis area man for allegedly shaking his infant girl causing severe injuries.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office says Tyler C. Abair was alone with his 4-month old child when it happened and told deputies he only shook her when she began choking while drinking a bottle.

It happened at the 700 block of Koontz Road last month, and detectives were waiting for medical reports to confirm their suspicions, according to a news release.

The baby is now recovering at home with her mother and Abair remains in the Lewis County Jail, where he was already in custody serving time for unrelated crimes, according to the sheriff’s office.

The case shares several commonalities with a 22-year-old Mineral man arrested last fall for allegedly seriously injuring by shaking his former girlfriend’s 4-month old. Kyle Davison told the sheriff’s office told authorities that baby was choking and not breathing.

Like Davison, Abair is facing a charge of first-degree assault of a child.

The sheriff’s office said when the baby girl stopped breathing on April 13. Abair called the baby’s mother who was nearby at work, instead of calling 911 himself.

“The mother had someone call 911 immediately, responded home, and began CPR,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown stated in the news release.

Abair reportedly initially denied injuring or shaking the infant.

The child was transferred to Marybridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma and doctors reported the infant had suffered retinal hemorrhaging and a brain injury consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome, according to Brown.

Brown said doctors also found old brain injuries which appeared to be caused in the same manner.

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Read also, “Lawyer seeks second opinion on brain trauma in Morton child assault case” from Monday April 14, 2014, here [1]