DAYTONA BEACH -- A 23-year-old father was being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail on a neglect charge after his 2-month-old son was treated at Halifax Medical Center for broken ribs, a broken arm and a hemorrhaging eye after he gave police conflicting stories as to how the injuries occurred.
The father's accounts of what happened weren't consistent with the injuries the baby suffered, police said, including claims the baby fell when he stopped an entertainment center from toppling over and that the baby hit a coffee table another time. As a result, Bruce Benford was charged Tuesday with felony neglect and was being held on $7,500 bail at the jail.
Police said the mother reported the baby slipped in the sink while she was washing him and saw that his arm was limp, prompting her to take him to the hospital over the weekend. She was not charged.