Fort Wayne man convicted in neglect case. Baby was 4 months old.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. ---You’d think a 37-year-old man would know better than to squeeze his baby’s leg until it was broken or bend him like a pretzel to break his femur, but apparently Terry Hargis, Jr. wasn’t thinking about that four years ago.                    .

On June 5, 2021, police were called, at the direction of the Department of Child Services, to  remove children from the Hargis home after his 4-month old baby boy was taken to the hospital the day before with severe injuries.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Fort Wayne officer Michelle Brown, the baby had a broken right femur, a broken right tibia and fibula, two broken ribs and a broken left clavicle. The tiny victim was transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital for treatment.

Thursday, March 20, an Allen Superior Court jury found Hargis guilty on two counts of neglect of a dependent, a Level 3 felony, a charge carrying a sentence of between three and 16 years in Indiana.

In court, Allen County deputy prosecutor Rebecca Grove led a team that included deputy prosecutors Rachel Gschwend and Tasha Lee.

Terry Hargis, Jr. (Photo courtesy of the Allen County Sheriff's Department)

Hargis was taking care of his son the day he was taken to the hospital. He refused to speak to police about the injuries, court docs say.

The doctor at Riley Children’s Hospital ruled out a bone or bleeding disorder, but rather found that the baby had a “classic squeeze injury” to his right leg, caused by “forcible grabbing and squeezing,” evident from the bruising.

The right femur was a “transverse fracture” caused by “a bending force.” This injury was “acute” and happened less than a week prior to being taken to the hospital, court documents said. 

The doctor estimated that the baby’s broken ankle was a “classic yanking or pulling” injury inflicted about 10 days before he was seen by a doctor. There was a similar time frame for his broken ribs that were in the process of healing and not broken at birth. 

The doctor blamed the injuries on abuse and said the injuries caused “extreme pain.”

No date for sentencing has been set for Hargis. According to a court attorney, Hargis did not attend his own trial, but is now being held at the Allen County Jail on a no bond. Hargis was picked up on a warrant a few hours after he was convicted in absentia.