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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.
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Words fail...
Hopefully the prison system will put him with someone that has the same amount of respect for him.
I hope this baby boy survives and learns what it is to be loved by a father (and is allowed to forget the person who fertilized his mother). Dakota, you were not a man or a father. We know by your actions that you were a self-centered child. You disgust me as a father, a man and a human.
Euthanasia is the only solution to this horrific situation, but let's not waste the taxpayer's money on a nice clinical death chamber and an overdose of sleeping medications. Let's get a short rope and a sturdy tall tree, it's ecologically safe and the rope is reusable.
It's difficult to find words to express outrage.....but for you liberals who can somehow justify abortions, late-term in particular, just think of it as a late, late term abortion....at least for you, maybe you can feel a little better.
If he didn't want his son I am sure there are thousands of families who would be happy to raise him. This is attempted murder and no telling how much this infant has endured from his murderous father.
Lets just see if the D.A.and staff have enough guts/balls to toss the max at him.And then hope the case does not get in front of some moron soft hearted wacked out judge.
Hey Dakota, enjoy your time in the general prison population. Inmates don't like child abusers.
Wow, patriot just might be less intelligent than Dakota. Your prize is to continue to live a sheltered, backwoods, respectless life. Way to go!
And patriot1 can think of Dakota's death penalty as a late late late late term abortion, and chain him/herself to the door of the courthouse to prevent it.
XGSBoss, while I agree that patriot1's political statement was misplaced here, you just belittled yourself and this situation even further by saying he was less intelligent that this attempted infant murderer because of his comment. Please people, pay attention to what you're saying before you post your comments. Anonymity does't cover up ignorance and idiocy.
What a sad, sad story...and father.
I agree with Dave..there are thousands of people who would love to adopt this child. I hope and pray he will be OK...and I hope his father ROTS in jail for attempted murder.
Have You guys ever thought that maybe he is mentally unstable. I know him personally and he is actually a really good guy. He loved his son and he never hurt him or the little sister he raised before. He just snapped give him a break guys. He needs to go to a mental hospital.... not prison.
Melissa, I do believe that he is mentally unstable; only someone fitting that bill could do something like this. That being said, he tried to kill his infant son. Again, he tried to murder a baby. He has admitted that he attempted to take life from a 3 month old. I understand that it's hard to be objective when you have a relationship with a person, but this is not a lack of compassion. I do hope he finds help and that his family can find some kind of peace after this, but he absolutely belongs in a prison. I actually can't think of many things that would qualify you more for that distinction.
I had a pretty close relationship with this man too and while yes, he loved his son, that does not make up for the problems he's caused us to go through now. For all you people who are talking about someone wanting to raise him? HOW ABOUT HIS MOTHER?!?!?! I can't think of a better person to raise this child than me!
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