Honk News (New York City, NY) – A man from West Virginia faces accusations of child neglect after a video surfaced showing him handling his 4-month-old baby in a manner described as “aggressive.”
Upshur County police have arrested 19-year-old Jeremiah Burkhammer following reports of a video that reportedly depicts him mistreating his infant. On February 13, the grandmother of the baby alerted the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office about the video, as stated in a criminal complaint. The complaint indicated that Burkhammer was reportedly observed treating the baby poorly while attempting to help them return to sleep.
The complaint states that Burkhammer exhibited “aggressive” behavior towards the baby over several minutes starting at 1:45 a.m. Burkhammer reportedly told the baby to return to sleep, then picked the infant up incorrectly — failing to support the baby’s head or neck — and placed the baby down forcefully, resulting in the victim’s head and neck moving back and forth violently.
A minute later, the baby turned over onto the pillow, and Burkhammer reportedly pulled the pillow away, expressing frustration with the words, “You’re p—ing me the f— off.” Burkhammer reportedly lifted the baby once more, only to toss the infant back onto the pillow.
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The complaint indicated that approximately 17 minutes later, Burkhammer can supposedly be heard shouting “take the freaking bottle” at the baby, who was said to be crying. The video depicted Burkhammer hitting the baby on the chest as the baby cried. Burkhammer reportedly placed his hand over the baby’s mouth and instructed the 4-month-old to “Breathe out your nose, not your mouth,” maintaining his hand there for 28 seconds. The complaint states that the baby is visible flailing and is heard crying.
Burkhammer faces charges for gross neglect of a child, which posed a significant risk of death or serious injury, along with a charge related to strangulation, suffocation, or asphyxiation.
He was taken to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail and is being held on a bond of $225,000. The preliminary hearing is set for February 21.