A man has been indicted of multiple charges after leaving a six-week-old infant in a freezer.
25-year-old Tyler James Deutsch was alone with the infant from about 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. Saturday in their trailer home in Roy, Washington after the baby’s mother left for a short. When she returned, she caught Deutsch removing the baby from the freezer only wearing a diaper, according to KIROTC. She attempted to call 911 for help, but Deutsch interfered and prevented her from reaching the phone for fear of public prosecution. She left the trailer and alerted her surrounding neighbors, who dialed 911 for her. The temperature in the freezer read 10 degrees.
Prosecutors say that Deutsch was “tired and the baby was crying, so [he] put her in the freezer and closed the door.” He then fell asleep and only awoke in the unfortunate slip of time when the mother came home, as recorded by NBC News. The infant received immediate medical attention where doctors say the baby will survive, but it will remain in medical care if any further complications should arise.
Deutsch is currently in Pierce County custody and faces charges of first-degree child assault, first-degree criminal mistreatment, and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence incident, as noted by The News Tribune. The charges are preliminary and more charges could be filed, and if convicted in the courtroom, he could serve a life sentence. However, Deutsch has pleaded not guilty to the charges.