LAWRENCE CO., Ill.—A Sumner man has been arrested and charged in the beating of his infant son.
Joseph C. Armes, 22, has been charged with one count of Aggravated Domestic Battery.
The case apparently came to light when the baby was taken to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Thursday, January 30, 2014. The baby had been brought to the emergency room and was quickly transported to Riley Children’s Hospital with broken ribs and a fractured skull. A search warrant was executed at Armes’ home on Cedar Street in Sumner, and Armes was taken into custody. He is awaiting a hearing on a $700,000 bail ($70,000 cash bond), according to sources at the jail.
Another child was removed from the Armes home and taken into protective custody.
Illinois State Police are said to be leading the investigation, which will probably take a different turn once all the evidence is in; the Illinois Child Death Task Force, which we’ve written about extensively in the past (in particular, in the case of Willow Long in Effingham County), is also working the case. Be watching for updates as we learn more.
