Redding man accused of beating girlfriend’s toddler who underwent surgery after suffering head trauma, broken elbow
REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a Redding man was arrested yesterday after a child abuse investigation revealed his girlfriend’s toddler suffered head trauma, a broken elbow, and other injuries they allege the young victim sustained at his hands.
The injured child, described only as a three-year-old boy, underwent surgery for his extensive injuries, according to officials, who have said the victim remains in protective custody and is continuing to recover from his abuse-related injuries “at a safe location”.
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On Monday, March 7, at around 6:18 p.m., City of Redding police officers responded to a local hospital after receiving reports of a 3-year-old boy who had been admitted by his mother and her boyfriend. The victim had sustained significant injuries consisting of a broken elbow and head trauma, Redding Police Sergeant Rob Garnero has since reported.
The victim was forced to undergo surgery for his injuries, which both parents claimed were the result of being pushed off of a slide by another child while at an unspecified Redding preschool.
Benjamin Hamilton-Moerer was arrested after officials allege he caused serious injuries to his girlfriend’s three-year-old son, who underwent surgery for his extensive injuries earlier this week. Redding PD photo
Based on the severity of the toddler’s injuries and concerns for his ongoing safety, he was taken into protective custody by Shasta County Child Family Services.
Both adults were interviewed by Redding PD detectives but were not immediately arrested, pending further investigation.
“Redding Police Detectives continued to work on the case with the assistance of Shasta County Child Family Services, The Children’s Legacy Center and various medical professionals, resulting in the arrest of the mother’s boyfriend on the evening of Wednesday, March 9th,” Garnero explained.
The boyfriend, 25-year-old Benjamin Bruce Hamilton-Moerer, was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of child abuse resulting in great bodily injury, kidnapping, false imprisonment, domestic battery with injuries, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony battery with serious injuries.
Online jail records indicate Hamilton-Moerer he has since been released after posting $100,000 bond.
“The Redding Police Department thanks our counterparts for their professionalism and expertise, which were crucial in putting this case together,” Garnero went on to say.
Anyone with further information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department Detective Division at (530) 225-4200.
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Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.