West Philadelphia

Dad Tosses Baby Away From Bat-Wielding Attacker in West Philadelphia

The man took the child out of the car to prevent the baby from getting hurt, which is when the woman approached them "aggressively," police said

A 39-year-old man tossed his baby onto a field to protect the child as a woman attacked him with a bat Wednesday morning in West Philadelphia, police said.

The man, 1-year-old baby and 31-year-old suspect were inside a car on 42nd Street and Lancaster Avenue around 9:48 a.m. when something prompted the woman to start using the bat to damage the car, breaking its windows, Philadelphia Police Department spokesman Miguel Torres said. A photo taken at the scene showed a pair of large indentations and cracks to the vehicle's windshield, presumably caused by bat strikes.

The man took the child out of the car to prevent the baby from getting hurt, which is when the woman approached them "aggressively," Torres said. The victim then threw the baby onto a grassy field as the woman hit him several times over the head.

The victim was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital in unknown condition, while the 1-year-old is stable after being treated for abrasions to the forehead at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Torres said.

The 31-year-old was arrested as the investigation remained ongoing. Neither her relation to the man or the baby, nor the reason for the attack, were immediately clear.

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