Jeremiah Burkhammer (West Virginia Division Corrections and Rehabilitation).
A West Virginia man was accused of child neglect after he was caught on video treating his 4-month-old baby in an “aggressive manner.”
Jeremiah Burkhammer, a 19-year-old individual, was taken into custody by the authorities in Upshur County following the report of a video depicting him mistreating his baby. The video, which was brought to the attention of the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office by the infant’s grandmother on February 13, showed Burkhammer allegedly abusing the infant in an attempt to get them to sleep again. This information was detailed in a criminal complaint obtained from The Inter-Mountain, a local news source.
The complaint outlined Burkhammer’s purported “aggressive” actions towards the baby, which reportedly occurred over a span of several minutes starting at 1:45 a.m. Burkhammer was claimed to have mishandled the infant by not properly supporting the baby’s head or neck while trying to make them sleep, causing the baby’s head and neck to violently move back and forth in a forceful manner.
Shortly after, it was stated in the complaint that the baby rolled over onto a pillow, prompting Burkhammer to angrily snatch the pillow away, exclaiming, “You’re p—ing me the f— off.” Subsequently, Burkhammer allegedly lifted the baby once more and callously threw them back onto the pillow.
The complaint stated that about 17 minutes after that, Burkhammer can allegedly be heard yelling “take the freaking bottle” at the baby, who was reportedly crying. The video also showed Burkhammer smacking the baby on the chest while the baby cried. Burkhammer then allegedly covered the baby’s mouth with his hand and told the 4-month-old to “Breathe out your nose, not your mouth” while keeping his hand over the baby’s mouth for 28 seconds. According to the complaint, the baby can be seen flailing and heard crying.
Burkhammer was charged with one count of gross neglect of child creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury and one count of strangulation, suffocation, or asphyxiation. He was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail and held on $225,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 21.
