Gainesville Man Arrested on Child Cruelty and Domestic Battery Charges

Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Masiah Amadeous Patrick, 27, last week and charged him with child cruelty and domestic battery. 

Deputies responded to Shands ER at the request of the Department of Children and Families after getting reports of a baby with a handprint on their face. 

When police arrived, they observed a bruise on the baby’s face that was consistent with a mark left by an adult hand. 

The arrest report states Patrick was the only person home when the baby became injured.

Patrick told police he left the baby alone on a blanket on the floor for five minutes so he could use the bathroom and make a bottle. Patrick said by the time he returned, the baby had rolled a few feet and given itself the marks.

A nurse told police the first thing she thought when she treated the baby was they had been victim to a slap wound. The nurse said she's seen hand marks on children before, and the baby’s injuries are consistent with being slapped. 

Patrick was released from jail after posting a $35,000 bond.