West Brownsville man charged with assaulting 2-year-old
State police arrested a West Brownsville man Monday on charges including attempted homicide after his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son was taken from the man’s home to the hospital with a life-threatening brain injury.
The child, Zachary Sumey, was transported to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC Saturday night and later placed in an induced coma. The hospital initiated a Childline report for the suspected case of child abuse, state police said in the criminal affadavit.
Benjamin G. Lesczynski, 26, of 501 Main St., is also charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, child endangerment and reckless endangerment.
Emergency crews were called to Lesczynski’s home about 10:22 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive child. Police allege Lesczynski was the last adult alone with the boy and told his girlfriend, Brittany N. Sumey, to lie to investigators.
Lesczynski initially told emergency personnel he went outside to get cigarettes from his car while Zachary was playing with Sumey and Lesczynski’s children in the living room.
When he came back, he allegedly said he found the 2-year-old lying on the dining room floor.
Sumey initially told state police a similar story, but during the interview also said Lesczynski “told her that they need to get their stories straight, and say she was in the living room,” Trooper Nathaniel Lieberum wrote.
She went on to tell investigators she was upstairs and Lesczynski took the children, including his 8-year-old, downstairs. Her boyfriend met her at the stairs and was acting strangely when she came down to use the bathroom, according to the affidavit.
About 10 minutes after Sumey went back upstairs, Lesczynski told her Zachary was unresponsive, and called 911 while she cared for her son.
“She related (Lesczynski) was acting odd,” Lieberum wrote.
Zachary also sustained “a substantial amount of bruising to the head and upper torso area,” according to the affidavit – injuries consistent with child abuse – and was in a vegetative state when Lieberum saw him at the hospital.
A child abuse expert notified Lieberum Sunday that Zachary was the victim of child abuse.
Lesczynski was picked up Monday on a warrant and will be arraigned in Washington County night court.