Soldier charged with beating newborn

BARSTOW • A Fort Irwin soldier is expected to be in court next week to face charges for allegedly beating his newborn daughter, leaving the child with 11 broken ribs and other fractures, authorities said.

Corey Poole, 23, pleaded not guilty last week after he was arrested and charged with willful cruelty to a child.

Military officials began investigating Poole after receiving an emergency call in July reporting the child was bleeding from the mouth, said Detective Julie Brumm with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Crimes Against Children unit.

The infant was transported to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where doctors found multiple fractures to the child’s ribs, legs and some brain damage, Brumm said. Some of these injuries were new; others were not.

Soon after, military officials turned the investigation over to the Sheriff’s Department. When asked about the injuries, Poole allegedly told detectives he didn’t know how the child sustained her injuries, Brumm said.

The mother also told detectives she didn’t know how the injuries came about as she was hospitalized during the alleged attacks, Brumm said. She was cooperative with law enforcement from the beginning and was ruled out as a possible suspect.

As horrible as they are, infant abuse cases are plenteous in San Bernardino County, Brumm said, with similar cases coming in to her unit almost weekly.

“I think new parents not being able to deal with the colicky babies, if they’re criers ... sometimes some people just can’t handle it, I guess,” Brumm said.

Poole was arrested Thursday with bail set at $100,000. He has since posted bail and is out of custody.

He is scheduled to appear at Barstow Superior Court on Oct. 31.