Pa. man enters reduced guilty plea in infant abuse case

May 16, 2002|BY STACEY DANZUSO

chambersburg@herald-mail.com

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A Waynesboro, Pa., man scheduled to go to trial this week for allegedly throwing his infant son into his crib causing head injuries has instead pleaded guilty to one of the charges against him, according to the Franklin County District Attorney's Office.

John F. Cramer, 30, of 7670 Anthony Highway, Waynesboro, entered a guilty plea Monday to endangering the welfare of a child. In exchange, he will not be prosecuted on charges of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Cramer was scheduled for a three-day trial this week before Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Douglas Herman. The trial was canceled following the plea.

Cramer allegedly threw his son into his crib while he was caring for him in September 2000, according to court records.

According to testimony in a preliminary hearing, Cramer told police he was baby-sitting while his wife was at work on the afternoon of Sept. 15, 2000.

Cramer told police the baby was fussing and around 2:30 p.m., he grabbed the baby by the arms, shook him, then walked into the baby's bedroom and threw him into his cradle, according to court records.

When the child's mother, Jennifer Cramer, returned home from work at 4:30 p.m., she noticed the baby acting different than normal, court records show. At 10 p.m., the Cramers took him to Fulton Medical Center in McConnellsburg, Pa.

The 2-month-old was later taken to the Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit.

Cramer is scheduled to be sentenced July 3.

|

|

|