CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A Cleveland man was arraigned on child endangerment charges on Saturday after emergency room doctors had to surgically remove a diaper wipe from the throat of his choking eight-week-old son.
Joshua Rains, 25, was arrested Wednesday at the MetroHealth Medical Center after investigators interviewed him about the circumstances surrounding his son's injuries, Cleveland Police Sgt. Joseph Rini told Reuters.
The child was rushed to MetroHealth on Monday with a baby wipe lodged in his throat, blocking his airway. Rains originally told investigators the wipe disappeared after he used it to clean the child's face. But police said the claim was inconsistent with the baby's injuries.
"He is admitting to putting the wipe in the child's mouth," Sgt. Rini said on Saturday. "Whether it was an accident or done intentionally is what needs to be investigated."
Sgt. Rini also confirmed the infant had previously been hospitalized for an eye injury.
Rains was arraigned on Saturday on one count of felony endangering children, according to court records. There is no word on the baby's condition from the hospital.
(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Editing by James B. Kelleher and Greg McCune)
