SBS: Georgia: Dominique Payne charged in shaken baby case

#By Kathy Jefcoats kjefcoats@henryherald.com

#MCDONOUGH — A McDonough man has been charged with aggravated battery for allegedly hurting his infant son in a shaken baby incident just before Christmas.

#Dominique Payne, 24, of Mandalay Parkway is being held in the Henry County Jail on $25,000 bond on charges of aggravated battery and first degree child cruelty, both under the Family Violence Act. He made his first appearance in Henry County Magistrate Court Tuesday morning.

#Chief Judge Robert Godwin set his preliminary hearing for Jan. 29.

#Henry County police said Payne's 3-month-old son was taken to Piedmont Henry Medical Center Dec. 22 with traumatic head injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. The baby was transferred to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Christmas Eve where he was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

#Doctors discovered the baby suffered traumatic brain injury and fractures in both shinbones, said police. Doctors told police the fractures are common in non-accidental traumatic injury.

#If Payne makes bond, Godwin ordered he have no contact with his son.

#A convicted felon who served nearly five years in state prison for voluntary manslaughter has been charged with simple battery against his wife. Roderick Deangelo Stargell, 38, of St. Ives Crossing in Stockbridge, is being held on $1,050 bond.

#Police said Stargell grabbed his wife by the face Monday during an argument, yelled at her and told her not to lie to him.

#According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Stargell served nearly 12 years in state prison for aggravated assault, weapons and drug charges and was released in October 2004.

#He was arrested in May 2005 and convicted of voluntary manslaughter, according to corrections records. Stargell was locked up Dec. 28, 2005 and released May 26, 2010.

#A Stockbridge man was charged with simple battery under the Family Violence Act for a similar alleged attack on the mother of his child. Raymond Glenn Berry Jr., 31 of Nova Circle was arrested Monday for allegedly pushing the woman's face into a wall during an argument.

#Godwin set a $750 bond and bound over the case to State Court.

#An Atlanta woman is out on bond after her arrest for allegedly writing a $2,353 check for dental work. Police said Serlathia Antonia Williamson, 34, of Fairburn Road wrote the check in February to The Dental Place and never made good on it.

#A Stockbridge man is being held in the Henry County Jail on $15,000 bond for burglary and possession of tools for the commission of a crime. Police said Fred Solomon Perkins, 30, of Cobblestone Boulevard broke into a house and stole women's panties.

#Police said they found the underwear in his jacket pocket and a lock pick set in his possession.

#All suspects should be considered innocent until proven guilty.