A man accused of shaking his infant son in Grand Forks and causing “significant brain injury” has been charged with child abuse, according to court records.
Robert Allen Duckstad, 25, made an initial appearance Wednesday before state district Judge Sonja Clapp in Grand Forks. If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
The alleged incident happened on June 13 after Duckstad had come home from an overnight shift around 7:30 a.m. feeling “tired, frustrated and stressed,” according to a police complaint.
He tried to change his three-month-old son’s diaper, but the boy was being fussy. Investigators said Duckstad told them he shook his son once, but the boy would not stop crying. The crying stopped after Duckstad shook the boy two more times.
His son seemed “out of it and sleepy” so he put the boy in a child swing and went to bed, according to the complaint.
Duckstad’s wife returned home around 1:45 p.m. By 4 p.m. she realized something was wrong because the boy didn’t respond to his name and appeared “pale,” the complaint said. That’s when she took him to Altru Hospital where the boy was diagnosed with brain hemorrhage. He was taken to Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis for treatment.
$75,000 bond
In his Wednesday court hearing, which he attended via video from jail, he angered Judge Clapp with his evasive answers. When asked where he lived, Duckstad just stared at the camera and said “other places.” After the judge snapped at him, he said he has lived with family in the Twin Cities.
Court records list his home ZIP code in Windom in southwest Minnesota.
Because of the potential stiff penalty and Duckstad’s minimal ties to Grand Forks, the judge posted a $75,000 bond, which must be paid in full if he is to go free. He remains in jail in Grand Forks.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. March 24.
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