Two weeks after hesitating to admit that he intentionally fractured the skull of his 11-month-old stepdaughter, a Gardnerville man on Tuesday said he was "too aggressive" with the child.
Senior Justice Robert Rose accepted 28-year-old Stephen Tribon's guilty plea to attempted child abuse or neglect causing substantial bodily harm and set sentencing for May 10.
"I got up in the middle of the night to feed her. I heard her crying again. I went in to change her. I grabbed her and swung her over from the changing table and smacked her head. I was far too aggressive with the child," Tribon said.
The incident occurred Jan. 31.
"You knew what you were doing. You slammed her far too hard and this caused the injuries," Rose said. "You picked her up from the changing table and kind of flung her into the crib."
"Yes," Tribon said.
Prosecutor Karen Dustman also pointed out that Tribon made statements to Douglas County sheriff's investigators acknowledging his part in the incident.
"You're not claiming this was an accident?" Rose asked.
"No, sir," he said.
Tribon said he understood the nature of the charge and the consequences of his plea.
He faces up to 10 years in prison, but is eligible for probation if a state-certified psychiatrist or psychologist determines he is at low risk to re-offend.
According to reports, Tribon and the baby's mother brought her to the Carson Valley Medical Center at 4:45 a.m. Feb. 1. The examining physician called deputies because he was concerned that the mother had no explanation for the injuries and was inconsistent in explaining what happened.
According to court documents, Tribon admitted to an investigator that he caused the injury. Tribon reportedly told the officer he picked the baby up by the waist, swung her toward the crib, and slammed her head on top of the wooden frame.
He allegedly dropped her in the crib and slammed her right ear into the wooden frame, according to reports.
Dustman said Tuesday the baby's injuries were on the right side of her head and she had three small circular bruises on her back believed to be fingerprints.
The victim is now a year old.ù
