Man charged with assault of girlfriend's 2 children
TACOMA, Wash. -- Prosecutors have charged a 28-year-old man with two counts of assault in the alleged beating of his girlfriend's two young children.
Stephan V. Perebeynos faces a first degree assault charge in the alleged beating of an 18-month-old boy and a second degree assault charge for the boy's two-year-old brother.
Prosecutors say Perebeynos called 911 on Thursday to report that his girlfriend's 18-month-old child was non-responsive. Medics arrived to find the toddler unconscious with severe bruising on his body and face and his eyes were swollen shut, prosecutors said.
The toddler was taken to Mary Bridge Hospital with life-threatening injuries, including an active bleeding subdural hematoma and severe bruising all over his body, prosecutors said.
Perebeynos told police he had been caring for the boy and the boy's 6-year-old sister while their mother, his girlfriend, was undergoing medical treatment. Perebeynos claimed he did not know how the child had been hurt and suggested the injuries were due to an accidental fall.
But when police asked Perebeynos where his girlfriend's 2-year-old son was, he claimed he saw the child's father at a grocery store a few days earlier and gave the child to him, prosecutors said.
As police began a frantic search for the missing 2-year-old, the 6-year-old girl was found safe at school and told detectives she had seen both of her brothers that morning when she awoke.
Meanwhile, Perebeynos' sister brought the missing 2-year-old to the hospital. She said Perebeynos dropped off the 2-year-old at her mother's home, then she got a call from the mother stating the child was covered in bruises.
Perebeynos told her the child had already been seen at the doctor and was fine, prosecutors said. But the sister, upon hearing the boy was considered missing, drove the boy to the hospital for treatment.
He was diagnosed with a broken arm, a swollen ear, and a tooth fracture in addition to several bruises.
Perebeynos was scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon.
Stephan V. Perebeynos faces a first degree assault charge in the alleged beating of an 18-month-old boy and a second degree assault charge for the boy's two-year-old brother.
Prosecutors say Perebeynos called 911 on Thursday to report that his girlfriend's 18-month-old child was non-responsive. Medics arrived to find the toddler unconscious with severe bruising on his body and face and his eyes were swollen shut, prosecutors said.
The toddler was taken to Mary Bridge Hospital with life-threatening injuries, including an active bleeding subdural hematoma and severe bruising all over his body, prosecutors said.
Perebeynos told police he had been caring for the boy and the boy's 6-year-old sister while their mother, his girlfriend, was undergoing medical treatment. Perebeynos claimed he did not know how the child had been hurt and suggested the injuries were due to an accidental fall.
But when police asked Perebeynos where his girlfriend's 2-year-old son was, he claimed he saw the child's father at a grocery store a few days earlier and gave the child to him, prosecutors said.
As police began a frantic search for the missing 2-year-old, the 6-year-old girl was found safe at school and told detectives she had seen both of her brothers that morning when she awoke.
Meanwhile, Perebeynos' sister brought the missing 2-year-old to the hospital. She said Perebeynos dropped off the 2-year-old at her mother's home, then she got a call from the mother stating the child was covered in bruises.
Perebeynos told her the child had already been seen at the doctor and was fine, prosecutors said. But the sister, upon hearing the boy was considered missing, drove the boy to the hospital for treatment.
He was diagnosed with a broken arm, a swollen ear, and a tooth fracture in addition to several bruises.
Perebeynos was scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon.
