Mother charged with Child Abuse of twin
infants in Imperial

IMPERIAL, PA  –  An Imperial mother is facing felony child abuse charges after doctors found broken bones in one of her 5-week-old twin boys — then asked to see his brother and found more, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV.

Chelsey Stallard’s preliminary hearing was held Wednesday, and a judge held the charges for court.

North Fayette police were called to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in June for a report of twin 5-week-old boys with signs of child abuse, the news station reported.

According to the criminal complaint, a doctor said each infant had “significant trauma to the lower extremities,” broken bones in their legs in different stages of healing, and one of the boys had a displaced, broken elbow.

Stallard admitted to handling the babies roughly from time to time such as when they cried and during diaper changes, police said.

Stallard admitted to forcefully pulling one infant’s arm while he was still strapped in his car seat and acknowledged that both infants’ injuries were a result of her actions, WPXI reported.

But Stallard’s attorney claims his client is innocent, saying an underlying medical condition may be to blame.

“These charges were filed without a complete medical investigation being conducted into the origin of these injuries,” Chris Eyster told WPXI.  “A group of doctors at the request of the family is now trying to conduct that medical investigation.”