Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Father gets 21 years to life for biting, assaulting baby

Lake Forest couple told doctors that 4-week-old was scratched by cat after doctors found broken bones, 30 bites.

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
The Orange County Register
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

SANTA ANA – When a Lake Forest couple took their 4-week-old boy to a hospital in January 2005, doctors found the child with about 30 bite marks, multiple broken bones, bruises and a severe rip in his lips.

The couple told doctors that a family cat scratched the baby. But on Monday, the father of the boy, Andrew David Fusco, was handed a sentence of 21 years to life in state prison for abusing his son. Fusco was convicted of four felony counts of child abuse, two felony sexual assault counts, and two felony counts of aggravated assault of a child.

Prosecutors said that about four weeks after Fusco's boy was born, the 24-year-old man physically and sexually assaulted his son, causing several injuries to the newborn.

When doctors treated the child on Jan. 3, 2005, he was found to have multiple fractures in his arms, legs and ribs, as well as bruises in his cheeks and stomach. He also suffered severe facial injuries.

According to prosecutors, Fusco and his girlfriend, Megan Michelle Martinez, 23, lied to doctors about the injuries.

Martinez was convicted in June 2007 of child abuse for putting her baby in danger by allowing Fusco to continue abusing the boy. She was sentenced in December 2007 to six years in state prison.

The baby, who has not been identified, survived the injuries and was adopted by a family in Orange County.

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/chil ... 9-boy-baby