A Bemidji man has pleaded guilty to assaulting an 8-week-old baby in July.
Donny Lee Carlsen, 38, pleaded not guilty to felony first-degree assault Oct. 28. Carlsen entered a guilty plea by plea agreement in Beltrami County District Court on Jan. 6.
Carlsen was arrested July 8 for inflicting injuries on his 8-week-old son two days earlier. Carlsen is accused of striking the infant in the face, shaking the baby and then dropping him while attempting to answer his cellphone. The child was life-flighted to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, where it was determined he suffered brain injuries.
A first-degree assault charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine. Carlsen is being held in the Beltrami County Jail on a $300,000 conditional bond. He is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 27.
