MANCHESTER, N.H. (WHDH) - A New Hampshire man is facing criminal charges after police say he put his infant daughter in a clothes dryer and turned it on.
Michael Higgins, 34, of Manchester, was arrested Sunday on charges including reckless conduct, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal threatening, according to the Manchester Police Department.
Officers responding to a report of a domestic incident at a home at 444 Kimball St. learned that Higgins had been arguing with a woman during a confrontation that did not get physical, police said.
While officers were at the home, police say the woman stated that Higgins had placed their 4-month-old daughter in a dryer on Sept. 8 and turned on the machine.
“It’s very disturbing,” said a Manchester police spokesperson. “This child is just 4-months-old and was put inside a dryer — it doesn’t matter if it’s a few seconds. The point of the matter is, this child is at a young age who can get hurt very easily. This is very frightening for the child, traumatic. And traumatic for the mother who witnessed the whole thing as well.”
The mother was able to quickly intervene and remove the baby from the machine, according to police. The baby did not appear to be injured.
An investigation remains ongoing.
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