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Mother accused of shaking baby boyBy DUANE BOURNE, Times Staff Writer © St. Petersburg Times published July 24, 2003
BROOKSVILLE - A Brooksville mother was arrested Tuesday after she was accused of shaking her 13-month-old child so hard that he suffered brain damage, authorities said. On July 14, Karen Sue Tuttle, 37, allegedly grabbed the infant with both hands and furiously shook him because he would not stop crying, an arrest affidavit stated. The baby was taken to Brooksville Regional Hospital, where Tuttle initially told detectives that the boy had fallen off a couch at their home at 6535 Broad St., Lot 25. He was later flown to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg for what authorities described as a serious medical condition. At the hospital, doctors determined that the infant suffered from shaken baby syndrome and had not fallen from the couch, the report said. Shaken baby syndrome can lead to learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, such as mental and developmental retardation, paralysis, blindness and the inability to eat, and even to death. Tuttle, who has no criminal history, was taken into custody and charged with one count of aggravated child abuse - a first-degree felony. She was later released on her own recognizance. There was no answer to phone calls at Tuttle's home Wednesday. - Duane Bourne covers law enforcement and emergency services in Hernando County and can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com
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