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Father charged with child abuse after 10-week-old son stops breathing

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — An Indian Trail man was charged Friday with child abuse after his 10-week-old son stopped breathing, deputies said.

Kyle Bendick, 25, was charged with two counts of inflicting serious bodily injury or trauma.

Union County EMS responded around 12:20 p.m. Thursday to a call from Bendick's house for reports that the child wasn't breathing.

Paramedics said the child had physical injuries from being abused.

The child was taken to CMC-Union and transferred to Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, where he remains in critical condition.

Bendick was watching the child while his mother was at work, officials said.

Detectives believe that Bendick caused serious injuries, including fractures, to the child over two weeks ago as well as on Thursday.

Bendick is in the Union County Jail under a $1 million secured bond.

“Child abuse cases impact everybody involved. Not only is this child’s life in danger, the mother and other family members have to deal with what happened and try to understand why," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said. "These cases take a toll on the EMS workers, first responders, law enforcement, DSS as well as the prosecutors.”

Bendick will appear in court on July 18.

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