A Delaware County 1-year-old boy was still in the hospital Wednesday after he was allegedly battered by his mother’s boyfriend more than six weeks ago.
Staff at Nationwide Children’s Hospital confirmed Phoenyx Moore is still a patient but said they did not have his family’s consent to release any information about his condition.
The boy’s mother, Natasha M. Moore, 28, of 1163 Bayridge Drive, Lewis Center, and her boyfriend, Abdurahman Mohamed Abdurahman, 23, of 12 Tabliore Loop, Delaware, are facing felony endangering-children charges and are set for a jury trial on April 12.
Natasha Moore and Abdurahman are set to appear in Delaware County Common Pleas Court again on April 7 at 10:30 a.m. for a status conference. Judge David Gormley is presiding over the case.
Prosecutors allege that Abdurahman hit the baby’s head against a wall several times on Jan. 13 and caused serious injuries.
A grand-jury indictment for Natasha Moore states that she created a “substantial risk to the health or safety of the child, by violating a duty of care, protection or support” because she did not stop the abuse.
Prosecutors said the case was reported to police after the couple brought the boy to the hospital.
Court documents allege that on Jan. 13 Abdurahman caused “severe head trauma” to the baby by “striking his head against a bedroom wall at least five times.”
Court documents, filed by detectives at the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, said the baby suffered a right occipital fracture, subdural hematoma — a pool of blood between the brain and its casing — and a right cranial fracture with a midline shift.
During an interview with detectives on Jan. 13, Abdurahman said he and Natasha Moore were the only people to have been in custody of the boy for the previous 48 hours.
Court documents state that the neurosurgeon who operated on the baby at Nationwide Children’s categorized the trauma as “black brain,” which can only be caused by sustaining a blow to the head or being shaken, and is not accidental trauma. According to court documents filed on Jan. 14, the doctor added that the injury was sustained within the previous 48 hours.
Abdurahman appeared in Delaware County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 25 and entered a not-guilty plea to a charge of felonious assault, a second-degree felony; and two felony counts of endangering children. Bond for Abdurahman was set at $400,000.
Natasha Moore appeared in court on Jan. 27 and entered a not-guilty plea to two counts of endangering children, third-degree felonies. Bond was set at $100,000.
Court documents indicate that both have since posted bond and are not currently in custody.
Prosecutors said Natasha Moore and Abdurahman do not have prior criminal records.
