A 7-month-old baby died after suffering a skull fracture, and a Franklin man is in jail.
Christopher Potts, 20, 2030 Franklin Cove Court, Apt. 3, was arrested on a charge of battery resulting in death.
Police were called to Franklin Cove Apartments, off King Street, west of Interstate 65, just before noon Thursday about an unresponsive baby girl. CPR had been started, but the girl was pronounced dead after being taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital, according to a news release from Franklin police.
An autopsy showed the baby suffered a skull fracture, the release said.
Family members said that the baby, Felicity Anderson, was hurt after her father, Potts, threw her against the wall because she wouldn’t stop crying.
“He couldn’t handle her crying during nap time. That’s why he hurt her,” said Felicity’s grandmother, Danielle Anderson.
Investigators told Danielle Anderson that Potts tried to give the child CPR and a bottle after throwing her against the wall, she said.
Police investigated and questioned several people. Potts was interviewed and then was arrested, the release said.
Police are continuing to investigate and are following up on some pieces of information, Franklin Police Chief Tim O’Sullivan said. He declined to release further details.
The prosecutor’s office is reviewing the case, and Potts could face a charge of battery causing death to a child under 12 years of age, which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 30 years, Prosecutor Brad Cooper said. The charge would also fall under new credit restrictions, where prison inmates no longer get a day of credit for every day served, Cooper said.
Potts was taken to the Johnson County jail, where he is being held on $30,000 bond.
WISH-TV contributed to this report.
