'Short-tempered' father blamed 'rough diaper changes' for infant's fractures in all 4 limbs: Police

Tristan Dean Gerhardt (Hamilton County Detention Center)

A 28-year-old father in Indiana was arrested this week on accusations that he physically abused his 6-month-old child, who was hospitalized with fractures in both arms and legs, which the father allegedly blamed on tight swaddling and “rough diaper changes.”

Tristan Dean Gerhardt was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of felony domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury to a person under 14 and one count of felony neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

A case report from the Westfield Police Department confirmed that officers on July 29, 2024, received information about a “wanted person,” identified in the document as Gerhardt, being located at his home in the 1200 block of Scarlet Street. Police at about 11:19 p.m. executed an arrest warrant and brought Gerhardt in without incident.

A probable cause affidavit obtained by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN provided additional details about the circumstances of Gerhardt’s arrest.

According to the report, police on May 1, 2024, responded to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in regards to an infant believed to be the victim of child abuse. The 6-month-old baby had a litany of injuries, including broken bones in the upper and lower areas of the left arm, the upper area of the right arm, the lower area of the left leg, and the upper and lower areas of the right leg.

The child also appeared to have suffered scarring where the gums and lips connect, which doctors reportedly said was likely due to something being shoved into the infant’s mouth and had been an issue since the victim was about 3 weeks old.

Doctors treating the victim reportedly told investigators that most of the baby’s bone fractures appeared to be classic metaphyseal lesions (CMLs) , often referred to as “corner” or “bucket handle” fractures, which occur near growth plates in immature bones and are highly indicative of physical abuse. Doctors reportedly said the victim’s nonaccidental injuries are typically the result of “forceful yanking, pulling or jerking” which causes “tearing at the end of the bone.”

The child’s mother allegedly told investigators that Gerhardt cared for the child during the day because she works. Gerhardt told police that the injuries could have been caused by him tightly wrapping the baby in swaddles as well as some “rough diaper changes,” according to the affidavit obtained by WXIN.

However, doctors reportedly told authorities that the normal day-to-day handling of an infant and even “rough diaper changes” would not account for the injuries inflicted on the victim.

“If a person changes an infant’s diaper in a way that breaks his legs because of the pulling/jerking they are doing; they may call this a ‘rough diaper change.’ I would call this abusive,” a doctor wrote in court documents obtained by WXIN , adding, “If CML fractures on an infant were caused by a parent changing his diaper, those actions would be abusive.”

A family member reportedly also told police that Gerhardt displayed troubling behavior when interacting with the infant.

“Tristan is very mean, short-tempered, and yells a lot at the victim when [the victim’s mother] is not at home,” investigators reportedly wrote, quoting the family member.

Following the incident, Gerhardt reportedly sent a concerning message to the victim’s mother indicating that he had previously been in contact with child services.

“I’ve been through this before,” he reportedly wrote. “I’m loosing (sic) you both.”

Gerhardt on Tuesday appeared virtually for his initial hearing where Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Garrison found there to be probable cause for the arrest and set his bond at $150,000. He remained in the Hamilton County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon.

An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024.

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