Cedar Rapids man accused of breaking infant’s bones

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man was arrested Saturday on charges that he broke several bones of an infant boy by squeezing him and forcefully pulling on his legs.

Noah Debettignies, 22, is charged with child endangerment — multiple acts resulting in serious injury, child endangerment — substantial risk of bodily injury, child endangerment — torture or cruelty causing bodily injury, and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.

According to a criminal complaint, the child was taken to Unity Point St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids on March 4 because he had a swollen left leg. The child was about 7 weeks old at the time.

Medical personnel found the child had a broken left femur. He was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where it was determined that he also had fractures that were partially healed on several of his ribs. There were also fractures in both of his tibias and a subconjunctival hemorrhage, or a broken blood vessel, in his left eye, the complaint states.

Debettignies admitted that he swaddled the baby and bear hugged him tightly enough to have caused the fracture in his leg the night before taking him to the hospital. He also admitted to multiple other instances of abuse, including squeezing and pushing down on the child’s chest — possibly causing the rib fractures — and forcefully pulling on the child’s legs and holding the child upside down by his legs and shaking him. He admitted using his fingers to restrict the child’s airflow, possibly causing the subconjunctival hemorrhage in his eye, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint states Debettignies admitted to doing these things because he was frustrated with the child and wanted him to stop crying.

“The defendant reportedly admitted to abusing (the child) verbally to the investigator and also sent the investigator an email detailing additional abuse,” the complaint states.

A warrant was issued for Debettignies’ arrest on Thursday and he was taken into custody Saturday. A no contact order has been issued on behalf of the child.

Debettignies had his first appearance in court Monday and is being held on a cash-only $50,000 bond.

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