GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A Green Bay man already facing charges for domestic abuse is now accused of child abuse.
39-year-old Harry R. Santiago-Diaz is facing 4 charges, including physical abuse of a child, following an incident that took place last month.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a local hospital on January 16 to complete a welfare check on a 2-year-old child brought in to the ER for bruises, scratches and a potential head injury.
Officers interview the girl’s mom who was with Santiago-Diaz at the hospital. The mom told police that her daughter complained of “ouchies” in her lower abdominal area. Also noticed were a number of bruises and scratches all over the child’s body when the mom returned home earlier that morning.
One of the cops noted bruising and scratches on the left side of her face near her ear, numerous bruises and marks on the left side of her back beginning near the shoulder and continuing to the mid-back area, along with some darker distinct bruising just above the crease of her armpit that appeared consistent with finger marks.
The mom told officers that the injuries were new, nothing that happened before she left her house at 11 p.m. on January 15. She left to go out with her sister, and her boyfriend was left home with the girl and another child. When both got home several hours later, the sister noticed the injuries when asked to move the sleeping child from the living room to her bedroom.
The mom woke up her boyfriend, identified as Santiago-Diaz, to ask him what happened. He told her that he, “Didn’t know how it happened and said that he had been sleeping.” Santiago-Diaz apparently admitted hearing the child crying and asking for mommy, but he didn’t get up to check on her.
Santiago-Diaz was then interviewed by officers at the hospital and confirmed that the mom had gone out for the night. He also confirmed staying home with both children. Santiago-Diaz, who gave officers a fake name, says that the victim was, “Potentially sleeping on the couch, or may have been fake sleeping. He indicated he had one margarita and went to bed.” He also told the cops that it was, “Possible that she had been running and fell in the apartment.”
Officers spoke with each other about the injuries, and that was when Santiago-Diaz fled the hospital. A short time later, another Green Bay police officer found him at a gas station on E. Mason Street where he was arrested. Santiago-Diaz told officers that he lied about his name because he knew he had a warrant.
The complaint goes on to state that during a recorded jail house phone call, Santiago-Diaz spoke with an unknown man about the incident.
Santiago-Diaz was quoted as saying, “I was at her house and I stayed with the kids and the girl, her daughter was really bugging me and gave her a “cocotazo” (smack on the head) and it left a mark. But it wasn’t like really marked it wasn’t a “cocotazo”. It was more of a slap with the hand in her head because she was messing with — electric and so I got scared and because I got scare I smack her. If she gets shocked I’m the one in trouble because I’m the one taking care of her. So I smack her and it seems that as I smack her she move her head and I hit her in the ear and I mark her.”
Charges were filed against Santiago-Diaz back in August 2015 for second-degree recklessly endangering safety, battery and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic violence. He’s due to go to trial on those counts on May 4.
For the child abuse counts, Santiago-Diaz is due back in court Tuesday for his preliminary hearing. If convicted on all those charges, he faces nearly 25 years in prison.
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