An Upper Holmesburg man was arrested on July 3 one day after he allegedly hit his 5-month-old son, placed him in a bear hug and held his head under a running water faucet.
Michael Gerhardt, 29, also abused the baby’s mother inside their apartment on the 8500 block of Marsden St., police said.
On July 2 at about 7 p.m., the child’s mother was inside the apartment when she heard a loud smack coming from an adjoining room. The baby began crying. Gerhardt was alone with the boy at the time. An ensuing verbal quarrel turned physical, police said.
Authorities were called to the scene and took the child to St. Christopher’s Hospital, where he was treated for facial bruises and scrapes of his body. The mother suffered bruises and scrapes of her arm and leg.
Police returned to the apartment the following day and arrested Gerhardt on charges including assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, terroristic threats and endangering a child. ••
