Man who severely injured infants sentenced

Madison Township man gets 8 years

Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard L. Collins called it a “tragedy beyond imagination.”

“I just cannot conceive someone doing to a young, defenseless child what you did to your two children,” Collins said to Chad Humberston. “It would be so easy to let the emotions of the moment take charge and to give you a maximum sentence, but under the law I’m charged with balancing (all factors) in coming up with that appropriate sentence.”

With some admitted reluctance, Collins sentenced the 38-year-old Madison Township man to eight years in prison, the jointly recommended agreement between his defense attorney and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. He has 44 days jail credit. He will also be on post release control for three years.

On Oct. 22, Humberston pleaded guilty to two third-degree felony counts of child endangering as well as a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, admitting to severely injuring his twin children when they were only about 6 weeks old.

On Oct. 31, 2017, Humberston’s 47-day-old son was taken to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, according to Madison Township police. The infant was found to have brain trauma as well as fractures to his extremities.

The police department was contacted by the hospital and an investigation began.

Madison Township detectives

learned that the infant has a twin sister. Detectives arranged for the female twin to be examined and learned that she had factures to her skull and extremities.

During the subsequent investigation, probable cause was developed that led to the arrest of Humberston on Nov. 16.

Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Jenny Azouri said at the Oct. 22 hearing that Humberston had admitted in a recorded interview that he was “extremely reckless and way too rough” with the twins on several occasions when he was watching them alone. He admitted that when one of the twins

would not stop crying he would spank them and forcefully place them in a Pack ‘n Play playpen.

Azouri said there are metal bars that ran underneath the playpen and it appears that the infants hit their heads on those bars.

At his Nov. 29 sentencing hearing, Humberston cried as he apologized to his, family, friends and children.

“Many of times I wish I could rewind the clock and start anew,” he said. “But unfortunately I stand before you in utter dismay and disappointment. I’m disappointed that somehow my actions are why we are here. I look down on myself and think how my actions could have done this.”

Humbeston’s mother-inlaw — the grandmother of

the children who were injured —called him a monster.

“What kind of a person thinks it’s acceptable to paddle — your words, Chad — a 6-week-old infant,” she said. “Of course we all know you did much worse. That you did it once makes you ignorant, that you did it several times makes you the worst kind of person.”

She called Humberston a “self-absorbed, controlling man.”

“As long as I have known you, you have never cared for anyone or anything other than yourself,” she said. “And so as I speak, I refuse to allow you to be the center of attention. Instead, I’ll focus on your beautiful children, and wife, whom you’ve nearly destroyed, and the family whose collective heart you’ve broken.”

Humberston’s wife was emotional as she addressed him. As she stood up to speak, she said it took a thought, heartache and courage to address the court.

“First I would like to say our children are healthy and doing well,” she said. “I thank God for that and we are blessed by him to have the loving support of our family and friends.”

She said she’s had to work hard to wake up and see the truth that he was capable of hurting their twins. The couple also has another child together.

“You said that you were overwhelmed, that I wasn’t there, so you were overwhelmed dealing with all three of them, well I’ve been doing it for a year now and I’ve never once hurt them… so why did you?” she said.

Humberston