Man gets 12 years for attack that left baby in medically induced coma

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A man has pleaded guilty to aggravated battery to a child after he repeatedly hit a baby in the head, placing the child in a medically induced coma. 

Christopher Pulliam was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He must serve at least 85 percent of that sentence before he could be eligible for release. As part of the plea deal, two other charges were dropped. 

Police became involved in an investigation after the baby was brought to Decatur Memorial Hospital on Dec. 6. The grandmother of the child, who is their legal guardian, brought the baby to the hospital after picking them up from a home where they were supervised by the grandmother's daughter and her fiancé.  The grandmother reported to police that the infant was not breathing. 

The child was found to have a left partial skull fracture, per a sworn affidavit. 

The affidavit said police interviewed the people at the home where the baby was supervised, including the grandmother's daughter and the fiancé, 34-year-old Pulliam. In the interview, both said they had no idea how the baby ended up with a skull fracture. The daughter gave police access to camera recordings from a dining room camera in the home, which pointed toward the living room. 

Police said the observed footage on the camera from Nov. 30 showing Pulliam hitting the baby in the head while the child is on a baby swing and crying. He is seen on camera hitting the child three more times, the affidavit said, and additional footage showed the suspect throwing something at the baby and hitting them. 

More footage from Dec. 3 showed Pulliam hitting the child twice with glow sticks he was holding and while the infant was on a blanket, police said.

Copyright 2022 WAND TV. All rights reserved.