Chicago man seriously injuries baby while battering woman

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A Chicago man is being held without bail on charges he struck his 3-month-old baby while he was physically abusing his ex-girlfriend in Hammond.

Stacy C. Striblin, 36, is charged in Lake Superior Court with battery involving the baby, who suffered a brain injury after falling onto the front porch step. He also is charged with confinement, battery, domestic battery, interference with reporting a crime and invasion of privacy.

Police received a 911 call on Sunday from a child at the CVS Pharmacy, 6445 Calumet Ave., Hammond, that the child’s mother was getting beat up by her boyfriend. When officers arrived at Donetta Rhaburn’s residence in the 6300 block of Euclid Avenue, they heard yelling and screaming.

Rhaburn told police Striblin punched, kicked and struck her with a crowbar. One of his punches hit her 3-month-old daughter in the face, causing her to fall and hit her head on the front porch step. As the altercation continued inside, Striblin struck Rhaburn with different objects, including a space heater. At one point in the incident the child quit breathing.

After the woman’s three older children arrived home, Striblin calmed down, but Rhaburn told her older daughter that if Striblin “started again” she should call police, the probable cause affidavit states. The home phone was broken.

Court records indicate Rhaburn was transported to St. Margaret Mercy Hospital for treatment. The baby was transferred from St. Margaret Mercy to University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Rhaburn told police she bit Striblin on the lip. While he was being taken to the hospital, Striblin told the officer he was a gang member and that he would get his “boys” together and kill him.

The charges are punishable by a maximum 20-year sentence.