Vernon Man Arrested In Mansfield Baby Head Injury Case

MANSFIELD/VERNON — A Vernon resident has been arrested in a Mansfield case involving an head injury suffered by his then-7-week old daughter in 2016, state police said.

Michael Gonzalez, 25, whose current listed address is 100 West Street in Vernon, was taken into custody by state police on Friday. The case dates back to February 2016, when Vernon police began investigating the case, according to a warrant. State police took over when it was realized the girl suffered a head injury after Gonzalez moved to Mansfield with the baby's mother.

He was charged with:

• First-degree assault
• Risk of injury to a child
• Providing a false statement

He was being held on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court Monday, according to a report.

The child had "brain bleeds" and "seizures" after being injured, according to a warrant. She spent eight days in the Connecticut Children's Medical Center intensive care uuit and required extensive therapy afterward, according to a warrant.

Gonzalez is described as a frequent liar by several witnesses in a warrant and failed polygraph tests during the investigation, according to case notes.

He offered several explanations for the child's head injury, including dropping her, throwing her too high while playfully tossing her in the air and a family member shaking her.

State police, though, determined the child was hurt out of frustration. According to a warrant, Gonzalez complained about a lack of sleep because of things like crying and was frustrated with other things like the child going to the bathroom.

He had injured a dog and kicked a TV set in the past, according to a warrant.

Photo Credit: CSP

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