A judge suggested that the father struggled with substance abuse and urged him to address his issues if he wanted to maintain a relationship with his son.
FREDERICK, Md. — A man has been sentenced to prison after his 2-year-old son suffered severe abuse while in his care. Investigators reported that the toddler was taken to a local hospital with brain bleeds and skull fractures.
On Wednesday, 33-year-old Tre Anthony Garrett of Germantown, Maryland, received a 15-year prison sentence for first-degree child abuse and neglect of a minor related to an incident in January.
On January 5, 2024, deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to Frederick Health Hospital following a report of child abuse involving a severely injured 2-year-old boy. The child had multiple brain bleeds, skull fractures, and other bodily injuries.
He was later transported to Children’s National Medical Center in D.C. for treatment. Medical professionals found the injuries suspicious and inconsistent with an accident.
Detectives interviewed the child’s mother, who explained that she had left her son in Garrett’s care while running errands. Upon returning, she saw Garrett walking with the child, who was dressed inappropriately for the weather. When she tried to take the boy back, Garrett refused, prompting her to call 911.
Police later located Garrett alone while responding to a separate emergency call in the area.
Nearly ten hours after the mother’s initial 911 call, she brought her son to Frederick Health Hospital.
Through collaboration between detectives and medical experts, it was determined that the child’s injuries had occurred while in Garrett’s care, leading to his arrest and conviction.
During sentencing, the judge implied that Garrett’s drug problems played a significant role in the abuse and urged him to seek help if he wanted to rebuild a relationship with his son.
Following his prison term, Garrett will serve five years of supervised probation with strict conditions, including no contact with the victim and no unsupervised interactions with any minors.
