Father who gave baby girl 28 rib fractures wanted a son instead, Ohio prosecutor says
In February, a mother rushed her 3-month-old baby girl to a hospital in Ohio.
Doctors there found the infant had 28 fractured ribs in different stages of healing — suggesting the injuries were suffered at different times — and serious brain injuries, according to WLWT. They determined the injuries did not stem from an accident, as they were first told.
Instead, police allege that the girl’s father, 33-year-old Jason Bittner, abused the baby in February at his home in Mason, Ohio. Fox 19 reports that a prosecutor has a theory for why Bittner, a well-known chiropractor in the area, allegedly assaulted his daughter.
There are two theories, actually. The first is that Bittner “didn’t deal real well with newborns, in terms of them being ‘fussy’ as newborns are,” prosecutor David Fornshell told WLWT.
And the second reason?
“We know that he was somewhat resentful that his second child was actually a baby girl,” he said. “He was wanting it to be a boy.”
Bittner has a wife and two daughters, Fox19 reported.
Bittner, who police allege didn’t get help for his injured daughter, was arrested on March 16 at 5:30 p.m, WKRC reported. He faces one count of assault and two counts of endangering children.
Fornshell said that many in the community will be shocked once they hear all the details from the case.
“By all accounts he’s a member of good standing in the community, he’s active in his church, and I think people think that people like that are incapable of committing acts of child abuse or even domestic violence and those kind of situations,” he told Fox19. “But unfortunately those types of acts are committed by all manner of people.”
“As the evidence in this case comes out,” he added to WLWT, “I think there’s going to be a lot of people that may not have known Mr. Bittner as well as they thought they did.”
On his company’s website, Bittner described himself as someone who “absolutely love(s) spinal manipulation, rehab, weight training and nutrition.”
“I love my wife Casey and I’m crazy about my daughters, Emily and Aimee,” his description read. “But my first and greatest love is Jesus Christ. I am most proud of my faith in him.”
He was set to appear in court on Wednesday for arraignment.
This story was originally published March 21, 2018 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Father who gave baby girl 28 rib fractures wanted a son instead, Ohio prosecutor says."