Affidavit details injuries to three children, including critically injured toddler
When emergency crews arrived at a south Wichita home just after 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, they found a 1-year-old girl lying on her back on a couch, unresponsive, her eyes fixed and dilated, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
The child was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and the man who was tasked with taking care of her — and who called 911 to treat her injuries — has since been arrested and charged with child abuse.
Kevin Mitchell, 30, was watching the 1-year-old and two siblings while their mother went out to donate plasma. He told police he had been swinging the girl while playing with her when she suddenly became unresponsive.
Emergency medical personnel asked Wichita police to investigate after noting the child’s injuries did not appear to be caused by a medical issue.
First responders noted a bruise on the toddler’s left temple, while hospital staff documented additional bruising to her leg, stomach and chest. The child was admitted in critical condition, where doctors also observed other injuries, including abrasions and scars, the affidavit states.
Two of the child’s siblings, a 6-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, were also examined. The boy was noted to have significant abrasions, as well as scratches on his back, while the 2-year-old girl had scratches on her shoulder and bruises to her leg and rib cage.
The children’s mother attributed some of their injuries to spankings, but told police that she had never seen Mitchell physically discipline her children. She did, however, in a later interview note that Mitchell had grabbed the 1-year-old by her face and around her mouth when she was not behaving.
When shown photos of her children’s injuries, she told investigators some of them “must be from Kevin,” the affidavit says.
Mitchell, meanwhile, told detectives he didn’t know what caused the 1-year-old’s head injury. He described picking her up and tossing her into the air, as well as spinning her and tossing her onto a bed. He said when he picked her up to toss her the third time, he noticed she wasn’t responding and appeared to be in distress.
“He said she did not hit her head on anything,” the affidavit read. “Kevin said prior to the second time he spun her around and tossed her on the bed, … (the child) was acting normally and did not seem to be in distress.”
But later, Mitchell’s account changed, the court documents describe.
He told police that he had tripped while playing with her and the girl “flew” out of his arms. At first, he said she hit her head on a windowsill shelf but later said he wasn’t sure what she hit her head on, according to the affidavit.
“After Kevin picked (the 1-year-old) up, he noticed she was not responding normally and her breathing was shallow,” the affidavit read. “ … He blew into her nose and then mouth to try to help her.”
Mitchell was taken into police custody on Dec. 17 and charged with child abuse, accused of causing “great bodily harm, abusive head trauma, permanent disability or disfigurement.”
The 1-year-old girl, her two siblings and two other children — all between the ages of 6 months and 9 years old — were placed in police protective custody.
Mitchell is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Feb. 2.
