LIVONIA, Mich. – A Livonia father has been ordered to stand trial in the death of his 10-week-old son.
The decision came following a day of chilling testimony in court. Both the mother, Sarah Pollack, and the father, Mark Hontz, were emotional as Pollack recalled the night her child was injured. She was questioned by both the prosecution and Hontz's defense attorney.
Pollack described getting a phone call from Hontz.
"He said that he fell down the stairs with Julian and landed on top of him," she said.
Pollack testified she rushed home and called 911 when she was on her way. She described seeing her 10-week-old son, Julian, when she arrived home.
"I knew that he wasn't breathing and he seemed like he was blue," she said.
Washtenaw County Medical Examiner Dr. Jeffrey Jentzen also testified. The doctor said the baby's injuries were not consistent with a fall but were more likely the result of someone squeezing him with a lot of force.
"The injuries are more consistent with a compression or a compression of the spine onto the rib area, which causes those kinds of fractures," said Jentzen. "It's my opinion that the cause of death was due to head and neck injuries. It would be my opinion that they were inflicted."
There also were questions about the timeline after the alleged fall until Hontz called Pollack. She testified he dipped the baby in cold water to try to wake him up before calling for help.
-- Mark Hontz