Dakota Eldridge, 19, has been charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.A man has been arrested for trying to smother his infant son at the hospital, Chattanooga police say.
Dakota Eldridge, 19, has been charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated child abuse after Erlanger authorities alerted police to an assault on a 12-week-old boy last night, police say.
The child had been brought to Erlanger via ambulance from Rhea County on multiple ailments, Sgt. Jerri Weary said.
Hospital staff noticed that the baby's heart rate had drastically dropped several times whenever Eldridge was close to him, police say.
After one of the staff noticed what Eldridge was doing they detained him and called police, according to a news release.
Police say Eldridge confessed that he'd pinched the baby's nose and covered his mouth several times to stop the infant's breathing.
Follow the latest Chattanooga crime news on Twitter and Facebook.