The charges are connected to the Aug. 23 death of Averi Grabans. The baby died of blunt force trauma to the head, and that she suffered a skull fracture, hemorrhages and contusions on her head, according to Montgomery County Coroner Kent Harshbarger.
Pulley was dating the baby’s mother and watched the girl at his East Shannon Avenue home while the mother was working, according to court records.
On Aug. 19, the mother realized Averi had multiple bruises and swelling on her head after taking the baby home.
“She confronted Pulley about the injuries and he convinced her they were caused by a bad car seat,” the affidavit read.
The next day, Pulley was babysitting the girl again when he called the baby’s mother and said she “was not acting right.”
In a picture he sent to the mother’s phone the baby’s arms were out to her side and her eyes were “fixed to one side,” a West Carrollton detective wrote.
The mother left work and took Averi to the emergency room. She was admitted to Dayton Children’s Hospital’s PICU Ward with life-threatening injuries. Averi died three days later.
During an interview with police, Pulley said he dropped his cell phone on the baby and that she fell from the couch on the first day he was watching her, according to court records.
“On the second day, he said he accidentally hit [the baby’s] head on a door jamb as he was going from the hallway to the kitchen,” the affidavit read. “Pulley told several stories as to how [the baby] was injured.”
Pulley was arrested on Thursday, according to jail records. He is scheduled to have a video appearance in court today.
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