WARREN, Mich. – A man is accused of abusing 3-month-old twin babies and a cat at a Warren hotel, leaving them all with serious injuries and signs of past abuse, police said.
Warren police were called to Detroit Children’s Hospital on Feb. 26 when the parents of 3-month-old twin victims brought them in with serious injuries, according to authorities.
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One child had fluid on both sides of the brain, and the other had a skull fracture, officials said. There were signs of previous physical abuse on both children, authorities said.
Officials with Child Protective Services learned that the injuries were sustained at the Extended Stay Hotel in Warren, they said.
Warren detectives investigated the case and executed search warrants. They found a cat inside a room at the hotel that had visible injuries to its head and face, according to police.
A veterinarian said the cat showed signs of past and recent physical abuse. The cat is in the custody of Animal Control officials.
On Wednesday (March 2), the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office authorized charges against Darius Julius Hammond-Swan, 32.
Hammond-Swan was charged with two counts of first-degree child abuse, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one misdemeanor count of cruelty to an animal and one misdemeanor count of domestic violence.
He was taken into custody Friday in Farmington Hills by members of the Warren Special Operations Unit and United States Marshals.
“It is especially heinous when the victims of violent crime are defenseless infants and pets,” Warren police Commissioner William Dwyer said. “I am relieved that this suspect was quickly taken into custody and no longer poses a threat to the public at large.”
Hammond-Swan was arraigned Friday and issued a $1 million bond. He must wear a GPS tether, if released.
A preliminary examination is scheduled for March 22.
