Aggravated Battery Charges Filed Against Father in Infant Abuse Case

June 17, 2025, Peoria, IL - Over the weekend, Gabriel A. King, 24, was charged with Aggravated Battery for abusing his two-month-old baby, causing three separate brain bleeds, an upper arm fracture near the shoulder, and bruising on several places on the baby's body. Today, a detention hearing was held for King, and the State's Petition to Detain was granted, meaning King will remain in custody until his trial.

On June 3, around 10 PM, a DCFS caseworker visited the Peoria Police Department to report an incident of child abuse. The caseworker arrived at the hospital earlier in the day, and the mother reported she was with the baby on May 31 and June 1, and that the baby did not appear to have any injuries at that time.

On June 2, the mother left the baby with King while she went to work. That afternoon, King called her to say that the baby was crying uncontrollably and would not calm down. When the mother returned home that evening, the baby was screaming in a way she had never heard before, and she noticed bruising when she changed the baby's diaper, so they took the baby to the hospital.

During a police interview, King stated that while he was watching the baby, he became "overstimulated and overwhelmed." He mentioned that the baby fell and that he had grabbed the baby's arm. Additionally, King reported that the baby might have hit something and that he may have handled the baby too roughly, but he could not recall much of what transpired that day. King was arrested on Friday.

The treating doctor noted that the patterned bruising and injuries on the baby were not accidental but rather the result of child abuse.

This investigation is ongoing. If you have information regarding this incident, please contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521.

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