Emily SueAnn Zartman

An infant was transferred from Kosciusko Community Hospital to Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, with skull fractures and a scalp hematoma on Nov. 21. That instance started an investigation, which has resulted in the child’s mother, Emily SueAnn Zartman, 20, 500 N. CR 150W, Warsaw, being arrested on a charge of neglect of a dependent, a level 3 felony.

Zartman was arrested Tuesday evening and booked in the Kosciusko County Jail. She is being held on a $10,000 surety bond.

The court’s affidavit of probable cause, filed Jan. 15, states Kosciusko Community Hospital and Lutheran Hospital told authorities the mother stated she propped the child up on a pillow of her bed to change a diaper and the child fell off the bed. However hospital officials advised the injuries were not consistent with the fall described.

Dr. Jayesh Patel at Lutheran Hospital told police the child had a skull fracture on the left and right side of the skull and retinal hemorrhage in the right eye. Patel stated the injuries were consistent with shaking the baby and/or hitting his head between two objects – not consistent with falling off a bed.

Zartman initially told police she was home alone with the child when the accident occurred, and while she did not see the child fall, she noticed an immediate change in her behavior and breathing. She called her mother who stated she was on her way to the residence to take the two to a doctor’s appointment. When Zartman’s mother arrived no bumps could be found on the child’s head.

Contacting a medical doctor, they were advised to take the child to the ER for a CT scan.

Later, when confronted with information from the hospital, Zartman admitted she was in the kitchen holding the child and fell asleep, causing the child to slip out of her hands and fall on the tile floor. Zartman stated after the child fell, she noticed the back of his head was flattened.

She changed her story for the third time, stating she was in the kitchen carrying the infant. She said she was naked and menstruating. She noticed she was bleeding down her leg and when she tried to clean herself, the child kicked his legs and fell to the floor.

After Patel was advised of the different stories, he did not change his opinion. He stated the distance of the fall is the same on all three scenarios and would not explain the injury to both sides of the skull. He also advised the injuries were to the side of the head, not the back of the head and her statement about finding the back of the head flat is not consistent with the injuries.

Patel stated again the injuries suffered were consistent with child abuse.

Spangle received a report from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Shannon Thompson. Thompson reviewed the records, noting a linear fracture at the left parietal bone and a more complex fracture with multiple fractures on the right parietal bone. Her reports indicate an impact injury to the head.

The linear fractures can occur at short heights and complex skull fractures imply increased blunt force contact. “The findings suggest that (the child) had two impacts to the skull, rather than one, resulting in his injuries.” She also noted concern the injury is non-accidental trauma.

Zartman did tell police that during her pregnancy with the child, she had a hip and back injury and was prescribed methadone for pain. She was drug tested by her parents on Nov. 17. Her parents had found 1 1/2 methadone pills on the bedroom floor and believed she was addicted.

Zartman’s father stated she was to be weaning herself off the medications, but they were still finding pills. He verified she failed the drug test on Nov. 17.