With a previously dismissed charge reinstated, Centre Hall man faces trial for abuse of 2 children
A Centre Hall man accused of filling a baby’s bottle with beer and formula will also head toward trial on accusations he abused a second child.
Garrett Gunsallus, 24, had one felony charge dismissed in August and was sent toward trial on two other felony charges. Spring Township police in September refiled that child endangerment charge for a child’s fluctuating weight.
A pediatrics and child abuse expert testified during a preliminary hearing Friday that an infant in Gunsallus’ care was on a “very, very concerning growth pattern.”
“The only explanation is he wasn’t getting enough calories,” Penn State pediatrics professor Lori Frasier testified. “... He was not getting adequate formula or calories until he was out of that environment.”
Centre County Children and Youth Services in August 2018 told Spring Township police they were investigating a physical abuse and nutritional neglect case. Both children were removed from the home that month.
The infant’s weight would “dramatically” decrease or stagnate once released from the hospital, township police Detective Luke Nelson wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Ashley Gunsallus, who is also accused of child endangerment, said leg bruises were caused by Garrett Gunsallus moving the infant’s legs in a bicycle motion to expel gas, Nelson wrote.
She described Garrett Gunsallus as living a quiescent lifestyle, sometimes allowing the children to sit in “soaking wet” diapers or leaving them in a crib for several hours while he played Xbox, according to the affidavit.
“Garrett would not care if the kids were crying and just focus on the Xbox,” Nelson wrote. “... She would have to get onto the Xbox app to talk to him and check on the kids.”
The Gunsallus’ took the infant to medical appointments, sometimes before the scheduled date, because they were concerned about his well-being, defense lawyer Jason Dunkle said.
“They were doing what they were told,” Dunkle told District Judge Allen Sinclair. “… They were taking him in and telling the doctors, ‘Please help us.’ ”
Sinclair was not swayed, and reversed his August ruling that dismissed the charge. Gunsallus is heading toward trial on two felony counts of child endangerment and two misdemeanor counts of simple assault.
Ashley Gunsallus, 30, of Bellefonte, is charged with one felony count of child endangerment. Her pre-trial conference is scheduled for Monday.