[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A New Hampshire father has been charged after allegedly putting his infant daughter in a dryer and turning it on. Just horrible.
According to the Manchester Police Department, cops were called to the home of Michael Higgins (above) on Monday after reports of a domestic incident between the 34-year-old and his girlfriend.
While speaking to the couple, officers learned that Higgins and his girlfriend had gotten into an argument, but it didn’t “appear that the incident got physical.”
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However, the woman made a disturbing revelation to cops during the investigation. Police said in a press release:
“The woman did divulge to officers that the previous week, on Sept. 8, 2021 the man, identified as 34-year-old Michael Higgins had put their infant daughter into the clothes dryer and turned it on.”
OMG, what!?
Thankfully, the woman said she was able to “quickly intervene” and take the 4-month-old out of the dryer. Officials noted that the baby did not appear to be injured.
Higgins was arrested on charges of reckless conduct, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal threatening.
Manchester Police Department official Heather Hamel described the father’s actions as “disturbing,” telling WMUR in a statement:
“It’s very disturbing. I mean, this is a child that’s just 4 months old and was put inside a dryer. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a few seconds. The point of the matter is this child is obviously at a young age and can get hurt very easily.”
So true…
Infants’ bodies overheat very quickly, so much so that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents avoid taking babies outside for long if the heat index is any greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s a normal hot Summer day. A dryer’s internal temperature typically reaches anywhere between 125 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The amount of time it would have taken for the heat alone to be fatal… We just can’t imagine a loving parent ever putting their child in that kind of danger, even for a moment.
The official added:
“This is very frightening for the child and traumatic for the mother who witnessed the entire thing, as well.”
Higgins is being held on preventative detention. In court docs, investigators said he has a history of domestic violence.
The investigation is ongoing. Assuming this is true, we hope he’s never allowed around that child again.
[Image via Manchester Police Dept.]
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