A man shocked his partner with a tasteless joke after their 26-day-old baby was injured by their aggressive French bulldog. Aaron Newsome, 24, and Caitlin Powell, 20, initially lied about their baby being attacked by a stranger’s dog at a bus stop but were caught out by hospital staff. During police questioning, their false story fell apart, with evidence revealing their deception.
Text messages exposed Newsome instructing Powell to stick to their fabricated story and making callous remarks about their injured son. The incident occurred on October 4, 2023, just before Powell took the baby to the hospital. Ultimately, Powell confessed that their French bulldog had bitten the child while he was crying, leading to panic and deception.
Carl Powell, Caitlin’s father, was also involved in covering up the attack. Text exchanges between Carl and Newsome hinted at attempts to dispose of the dog following the incident. The baby suffered injuries to his toes, resulting in the amputation of one toe but showed signs of healing after a 12-day hospital stay.
Newsome, Carl Powell, and Caitlin Powell admitted to obstructing justice. Caitlin additionally pleaded guilty to failing to control a dangerous dog that caused injury. Carl Powell, with a history of convictions, received a suspended prison sentence, while Newsome was handed a suspended term as well.
Caitlin Powell’s sentencing was postponed due to the untraceable current owner of the dog involved. The judge expressed concerns about making a decision regarding the dog’s fate and scheduled Powell’s sentencing for a later date when the dog’s owner could be located.