A West Newton man pleaded guilty Wednesday to causing injuries to a 14-month-old child while the boy’s mother was at work last year.
Police said Salvatore Salvio, 26, last Sept. 12 inflicted injuries that caused substantial facial bruises and 13 puncture wounds to the child’s feet.
“He’s doing great now,” testified Madison Clayton, the boy’s mother.
Clayton told Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani that Salvio is not the father of her injured son but that the couple together have a 7-month-old baby currently in her care.
According to police, Clayton left her older son with Salvio. When she returned to her Herminie home about six hours later, she found the child crying and bleeding. Police said the child had severe bruising and swelling to his forehead, eyes, nose, lips, cheek and chin.
Salvio has been jailed at Westmoreland County Prison since his arrest last September.
Police said the child’s mother claimed Salvio used heroin and suspected the puncture wounds were caused by a syringe. Assistant District Attorney Kelly Hammers said prosecutors could not determine exactly how the boy’s injuries were inflicted.
Salvio pleaded guilty to two felony counts of aggravated assault along with two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and making terrorist threats.
He was sentenced to serve at least 30 months in jail, and maximum of five years behind bars.
However, he was given credit for time served and authorized for an early parole to attend an in-patient treatment facility to address drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues. Salvio was also sentenced to serve five additional years on probation.
Feliciani said the sentence, signed off on by the child’s mother, was crafted to allow Salvio to receive needed treatment. The judge noted the baby sustained no permanent injuries.
He barred Salvio from having any contact with children during the course of his sentence.
“Thank God there was nothing more serious with this child,” the judge said.
