Guilty Plea in Rochester Child Abuse Case Involving Twin Infants
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has admitted to felony charges stemming from a child abuse investigation.
30-year-old Nicholas Bendik went before an Olmsted County judge Thursday morning and pleaded guilty to two counts of malicious punishment of a child. Four other felony charges, including third-degree assault, were dropped through a plea agreement.
Bendick was accused of physically harming his twin son and daughter just a few months after they were born. The criminal complaint says the mother of the children brought her four-month-old son to St. Mary’s hospital in December of last year because he was fussy and an X-ray showed he had rib fractures and other signs of earlier injuries. The medical records also show there were bruises on the infant’s back and buttocks and investigators found the same bruising was found on his twin sister.
Bendik later gave a statement to police in which he admitted he “hurt his children out of frustration and the lack of sleep.” His statement said he squeezed his son hard with both of his hands and dropped both babies on their backs from a height of about six inches.
A sentencing hearing for Bendik will be held the afternoon of December 4th.
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