WCBC

November 5th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

The Office of the State’s Attorney for Allegany County, Michael O. Twigg, State’s Attorney, announced Wednesday, November 5, 2014, that Chad Lucas Custer, of Barton, Maryland pled guilty to First Degree Child Abuse that caused serious physical injury to his girlfriend’s infant daughter in April 2014.

The case was initiated when a referral was made from Western Maryland Regional Medical Center to Child Protective Services and Law Enforcement in Allegany County based on suspicion of child abuse.  The eleven month old infant presented to the emergency room unresponsive and results of a CT scan identified subdural hemorrhaging and seizures that are indicative of abusive head trauma. The baby was then transported to West Virginia University Hospital to the pediatric critical care unit to undergo medical procedures to remove a portion of her skull to relieve the pressure the blood was having on her brain.  An investigation was conducted by the Combined County Criminal Investigation Unit, headed by Detective Roger Plummer who identified care giver Custer as the suspect and was subsequently arrested. Since his arrest, he has been housed at the Allegany County Detention Center.

The State and Defense requested that the court order a pre-sentence investigation.  Defendants bond was revoked and sentencing will occur within the next few months.    

Prosecuting the case for the State was Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline R. Brandlen.  Mr. Charles Trent Thomas represented the defendant.