Kiski Township Police accuse man of abusing toddler after doctors say she suffered multiple neck fractures

Kiski Township Police accused a Butler County man of abusing an 11-month-old girl he was babysitting after a doctor reported that the girl had four fractured bones in her neck and bruises on her jaw, chest and nose when she arrived at the hospital by medical helicopter.

Jacob Tyler Rupert, 24, of the 100 block of Saxonburg Boulevard in Jefferson Township was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault of a child, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children as well as simple assault and harassment.

Rupert was being detained in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond, according to court records. He faces a preliminary hearing July 6 before District Judge James Andring.

Police wrote in a criminal complaint charging Rupert that they were dispatched to a home about noon April 11 for a report of a child who suffered a head injury.

Rupert told officers that he was caring for the toddler while her mother was at work. He said that he called 911 when he noticed she was unconscious and limp when he picked her up from the crib, the complaint said.

Medics from the Oklahoma-Vandergrift ambulance service said the child’s injuries were so severe that she needed to be flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for treatment, the complaint said.

Emergency medical personnel told investigators that the toddler’s injuries “appeared to be highly suspicious,” according to the complaint.

The doctor who treated the child told police the girl suffered compression fractures to three neck vertebrae and the occipital bone at the base of her skull along with bruises on her face, chest and nose, the complaint said.

The doctor told police the injuries he treated was “a victim of physical child abuse” and that they occurred “just prior to being admitted” to the hospital, the complaint said.

The girl was released after being treated but was readmitted April 15 for treatment of “ongoing issues” as a result of the injuries she suffered, police said.

The toddler’s mother told police her daughter was awake in a crib and appeared to be healthy when she left her in Rupert’s care about 7:30 a.m.

She said Rupert called her about 11:45 a.m. to tell her that the girl had fallen asleep on the couch and that she “went limp” when he tried placing her back in the crib.

Police said they became increasingly suspicious that Rupert was hurting the child after conducting interviews with family members and other babysitters.

The child’s grandfather told police that he questioned his daughter and Rupert about facial injuries the child suffered Dec. 30 while Rupert was babysitting. The man told police that Rupert said the injuries happened when the girl fell into a dog crate. He told police he had no reason to question Rupert’s explanation.

Police said they contacted Rupert’s attorney the day after the alleged incident and he told them his client was not going to speak to investigators about the case, the complaint said.

One of three babysitters interviewed by police said she noticed bruises on the girl’s leg and lower back while watching her Feb. 11 — which was the day after the toddler’s mother was involved in a vehicle accident in Indiana County while the child was in the vehicle.

The babysitter told police she confronted Rupert and the girl’s mother when they came to pick up the child that day, but the mother maintained that the bruises were the result of the crash, the complaint said.

Another babysitter told police she saw bruises on the child’s face while babysitting her March 10 that worsened as the day progressed.

When the babysitter questioned the girl’s mother and Rupert about the bruises, Rupert said they happened when the toddler fell in her crib, the complaint said.