Man arrested for abusing child

HENDERSON COUNTY – A Chandler man has been incarcerated for allegedly pushing and striking a two-year-old, causing fractures to his legs and skull. Joshua David Brooks, 23, is accused of causing harm to a minor. On June 15, Henderson County deputies received reports of a two-year-old child who had been taken to a hospital in Tyler due to head injuries. This prompted the start of the investigation. An arrest affidavit listed six-millimeter fracture of the skull, tibia fracture, brain shift of four millimeters, swelling of the brain and a bruised and swolen eye as injuries. The two-year-old’s mother was dating Brooks, who later admitted to deputies that he had bathed the child and placed her on a rug.

According to the affidavit, he claimed that as he turned to grab a towel, he heard a boom and discovered the child had fallen on a vent close to the shower. The affidavit stated that Brooks informed deputies that the child was rigid and had stopped breathing until he gave him a sternum rub.

A five-year-old in the house was then questioned by investigators, and she claimed to have witnessed Brooks toss the two-year-old into the shower. According to the affidavit, she informed investigators that Brooks was upset because the two-year-old had dedicated on herself and caused a mess. She claimed that while she was in the bathtub, Brooks shoved the two-year-old with his foot and struck her across the cheek. The following day, Brooks was arrested and placed under a $500,000 bond at the Henderson County Jail.