Fife father charged with assault of a child after 2-month-old son suffered severe brain injuries

TACOMA – A 25-year-old father from Fife was charged Monday with assault of a child for allegedly violently shaking his 2-month-old son so hard that the boy suffered severe brain injuries.

George Wells was ordered held in the Pierce County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

“This is horrible and inexplicable abuse,” said Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “The defendant will be held fully accountable. If the baby dies, we will charge murder.”

According to the prosecutor's office:

Last Friday, Wells’ girlfriend left their infant son alone with Wells while she went to the grocery store. A short time later, Wells called her and said the baby wasn’t breathing. The mother told Wells to call 911.

When paramedics arrived, the baby appeared lifeless and gray, had a faint pulse, and was not breathing. At the hospital, doctors determined the baby had severe brain injuries with no real sign of brain activity.

Wells told detectives that he accidentally dropped the baby while tossing him in the air. Doctors said the injuries were non-accidental and consistent with being shaken.