Dupo mom’s boyfriend accused of causing permanent injuries to 14-month-old

A Dupo man has been charged with aggravated battery of a child for allegedly causing permanent injuries to a 14-month-old boy.

Gary A. Smith, 32, was charged with the class X felony and was in custody Friday at the St. Louis Justice Center.

According to St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department reports, the child was taken to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis on Jan. 26, and it was discovered that he had a head injury. The medical staff reported the case to investigators, saying the wounds seemed consistent with child abuse, according to law enforcement reports.

The child’s mother, who lives in the 400 block of North Second Street in Dupo, told investigators Smith was “way too rough with the child,” according to St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Scott Weymouth.

Weymouth said he couldn’t discuss specifics of the case. But he said that hospital workers told investigators the wounds suffered by the child seemed to have been intentionally inflicted. The boy is expected to suffer lifelong effects from his injuries, Weymouth.

Smith reportedly fled the area after the investigation of the case began in January. Weymouth said Smith returned to the area and was taken into custody as he got off a bus at the Greyhound bus station in St. Louis.

St. Clair County authorities, as of Friday morning, were working to have Smith extradited from St. Louis to the metro-east.

Circuit Judge John Baricevic set Smith’s bail at $500,000.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Dupo mom’s boyfriend accused of causing permanent injuries to 14-month-old."