What to Know
- A man, who witnesses say was high on PCP, attacked a baby outside an Atlantic City apartment building, police say.
- Stephon Whitfield faces aggravated assault, child endangerment and disorderly conduct charges.
- The boy was treated for non-life-threatening bruises, scratches and swelling, police say.
A naked man, who investigators at the Jersey Shore say was under the influence of drugs, is accused of assaulting a baby boy being strolled by his mother.
Stephon Whitfield faced aggravated assault, child endangerment and disorderly conduct charges for the Monday night incident along Caspian Avenue near South Carolina Avenue in Atlantic City.
Officers responded to the area around 9:20 p.m. originally for a call of a naked man knocking on the front door of an apartment building, Atlantic City police said.
When the officers arrived, they found 28-year-old Whitfield “naked, yelling and bleeding,” police said.
Witnesses told officers that Whitfield first tried to get into a man’s car and steal his money but was turned away, investigators said. He then approached a woman strolling her 9-month-old and began to attack the infant, lifting the boy out of his stroller and slamming him back down, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10.
NBC10 obtained video showing residents pulling a man, who police identified as Whitfield, off of the baby. Another man then kicks and punches him repeatedly.
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Doctors treated the baby for non-life-threatening scratches, bruising and swelling to his mouth and face, police said. One of the boy's teeth was displaced.
Witnesses told the responding officers that Whitfield was under the influence of PCP at the time, the criminal complaint said.
Officers arrested Whitfield without incident and took him in for medical evaluation. Whitfield's mugshot showed noticeable facial injuries, including a swollen left eye.
Whitfield remained jailed in Atlantic County Tuesday. It is unclear if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
