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Bradenton Man Threw, Hit Baby, Deputies Say

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By HALLE STOCKTON

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: January 29, 2009

Matthew Nix

MANATEE COUNTY - A Bradenton father used a doll to show investigators how he hit, threw and pulled the arms of his 3-month-old infant out of frustration this week.

Sheriff's deputies began an investigation this week when All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg notified the agency that a baby was admitted with a skull fracture. The child was in stable condition late Wednesday.

Matthew D. Nix, 21, of the 6000 block of 34th Street West, told Manatee sheriff's deputies he became frustrated that his newborn son would not eat or stop crying, but denied hurting the boy at first.

Later he told investigators that around 1 a.m. Monday, the boy would not eat and had diarrhea.

When Nix tried to administer medicine to the child, he scraped the roof of the infant's mouth with the dropper, causing it to bleed, the report said.

Nix said he then elbowed the baby in the stomach and threw him to the floor, where the infant's head slammed against the metal base of a lamp.

The attack continued when the man picked up the infant by his arms and pulled them apart, the report said. Nix demonstrated how he did that to detectives with a doll.

When Nix rubbed the child's back after the attack, he said he heard "popping and cracking sounds," according to a report.

The father also admitted to shaking the baby several times before the Monday assault, the report said.

Nix and his fiancé had been taking the boy to hospitals in Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties this month because he was losing weight and had stomach problems.

Nix's fiancé, who was not named, told authorities that Nix has become frustrated with the boy, but she said she was unaware of his injuries.

Nix was arrested on a charge of aggravated child abuse.

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