Infant on the brink of death after WA father shook him in ‘a fit of rage,’ charges say
A 2-month-old Lakewood infant was on life support and not expected to survive after his father allegedly shook him in “a fit of rage” to get him to stop crying early Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors charged Fernandez Manaia Fruean, 27, with first-degree assault of a child, records show. Prosecutors will amend the charges to first-degree murder if the baby dies, according to charging documents.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Fruean’s behalf during his arraignment Thursday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Philip Thornton set his bail at $2 million.
Prosecutors allege Fruean did not seek medical help for his son for six hours after shaking him but instead put him face down on his bed and went to sleep, documents show.
Charging details
A Lakewood detective was informed at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday that Fruean or the baby’s mother might have abused the child. The baby was hospitalized in Tacoma and had a brain bleed, fractured ribs that were partially healed and a broken collar bone. When a CPS investigator spoke to Fruean about his son, he allegedly became defensive and said he did not harm his child, documents show.
A detective spoke to Fruean at the hospital, and the defendant claimed his baby was breathing normally at about 3 a.m. when he woke up to feed him, documents show. Fruean said he rocked his baby until he fell asleep, then placed him on his back on his bed. He did not check on him until 8 or 9 a.m.
When Fruean checked on his son, he said the blanket was covering his face. He said he picked up the boy, noticed that his lips were changing colors and that he was gasping for air every five to 10 minutes, document show. He took his baby to the hospital right after the baby’s mother came home.
The mother told detectives she returned home about 9 a.m. after running an errand when she saw Fruean holding their son and rocking him, documents show. They went to the hospital after she noticed their son was not moving. The mother said that Fruean is the baby’s primary caretaker because she works.
During questioning, the detective told Fruean the baby’s injuries were caused by abuse. Fruean denied harming his child and said he was charged in the past with abusing his infant daughter, documents show. He said he completed parenting courses and claimed to have learned a lot from them.
Records show Fruean was convicted in April 2023 for second-degree criminal mistreatment for breaking his infant daughter’s femur. His daughter has been in foster care following the conviction.
The detective said Fruean’s son had similar injuries as those suffered by his daughter. Fruean claimed he was sleeping the entire time and did not know how his son got injured, documents show. Fruean allegedly said the incident was just like the last time and “it’s always the father’s fault.”
There was a previous incident on Nov. 25 when the 2-month-old was taken to a hospital because a frenulum was cut and he was bleeding. Document show the injury is common in child-abuse cases where there is forced feeding or trauma from falling. CPS was not referred for that incident. Fruean claimed his son injured himself with his fingernail.
The detective told Fruean that the baby had broken ribs that were partially healed. He said he did not know anyone that would have broken his son’s ribs, documents show.
Fruean continued to deny harming his baby, documents show. He allegedly had inconsistencies in his story and when asked if he shook his son, Fruean “adamantly denied it.” After being asked again how the injuries happened, Fruean allegedly said he accidentally shook his son at 3 a.m. to see if he was OK.
When asked how Fruean shook his son, he said that he was angry and picked up the baby at around 3 a.m. when he shook him “vigorously back and forth” for five minutes, documents show. Fruean said his son’s head went back and forth violently. He allegedly said after five minutes, his son’s left eye was closed and right was open, the documents show. The baby was breathing hard as well.
Fruean said he put his baby back in his bed on his stomach and covered him up. He then went to sleep and said he was scared of being in jail again. The detective told Fruean that he needed to have his son’s protection as a number one priority, not his own. Fruean was then arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail.
