2-Month-Old Boy on Life Support, Father Charged

UPDATE: Bail has been set for the father at $5 million. New details here.


A Philadelphia man will be arraigned Sunday morning as his 2-month-old son remains on life support.

Police said they began questioning the child's father, 20-year-old Brian Armstrong, late Friday evening after his account of what happened did not match up with the injuries sustained by his infant son.

On Saturday, Armstrong was charged with aggravated assault and related offenses. His arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The child appeared limp in his father's arms Friday afternoon, when Armstrong frantically ran out of his home on the 6200 block of Old York Road in the city's Ogontz section and screamed for help, according to witnesses at the scene.

Armstrong -- calling out for any passerby to drive him to a hospital -- was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center with the child's grandfather and the baby, who had blood coming out of his ear, according to witnesses.

Officials with Albert Einstein informed police around 5:20 p.m. Friday that the critically injured 2-month-old was in the emergency room. The infant was transferred to Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children, where he was resuscitated at least once, according to officials.

He is currently on life support at Saint Christopher's.

Police say the mother was at work at the time of the incident.

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