Jury acquits Twin Falls man in shaken baby case

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – An Idaho jury acquitted a Twin Falls man of charges he injured his girlfriend’s baby.

The jury found Tim Evangelista, 28, not guilty of aggravated battery following about four hours of deliberation Thursday, the Times-News reported.

Police began investigating Evangelista in March 2017 after the 2-month-old baby was taken to a hospital for breathing difficulties. The infant was found to have bleeding in his brain and bruises on his body. He was later flown to an intensive care unit in Boise.

Evangelista denied injuring the child, but he later told police that he had accidentally shaken the baby and bumped his head multiple times, according to authorities.

Doctors who treated the baby told authorities they believed the injuries were not accidental.

Witnesses, including the baby’s mother, testified they did not see Evangelista harm the baby.

Defense attorney George Essma disputed investigators’ conclusions in the case, saying police did not thoroughly investigate other relatives in the house. The lead police detective may have jumped to a faulty conclusion when he arrested Evangelista, Essma said.

The doctors who treated the child also may not have considered other explanations for the injuries, Essma said.