IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A 10-month-old’s parents have been charged after their baby was found to have cigarette lighter burns and bite marks on their body.
On July 23, deputies were called north of Mooresville to Powder Horn Road for a welfare check on a 10-month-old child. The baby’s family called the sheriff’s office when they noticed bruises and “other unexplained markings on the child’s body,” authorities said.
Arriving deputies confirmed the child’s bruises and other injuries. The baby was taken to the hospital, where it was determined the injuries came from physical abuse.
Medical experts said some of the injuries were cigarette lighter burns and bite marks.
The baby was taken to a children’s hospital in Wake Forest for more evaluation. In the meantime, detectives interviewed witnesses and family members and evaluated the baby’s medical records.
Deputies charged the baby’s parents with felony intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
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Martavious Levar Smith was arrested on Saturday and was taken to the Iredell County jail, where he remains with a $100,000 secured bond.
Shalisa Monai Lowe was also arrested Saturday and was given an $80,000 secured bond.
The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and the Iredell County Department of Social Services continue to investigate the case.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke with the family member who called the sheriff’s office. They said they made the call after asking Lowe to take the baby in for medical treatment, but when that didn’t happen, they reached out to law enforcement.
The family said the baby is doing much better now and has been released from the hospital.
A neighbor told Faherty they were stunned by the allegations after seeing the mother in the yard with the baby and other children.
“I’ve seen her out here with the kids quite a bit and she was going up and down the street and playing with them all. To me, it looked like she was a great mother,” they said.
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