Bronx Mom Charged in Lie About Baby Boy Bashed in Head With Bat: NYPD

A Bronx mother has been arrested after police say she made up a story about her 2-month-old baby being hit in the head with a baseball bat on a Bronx street in an attack that caused a serious brain injury. 

Daphany Sanders, 22, was charged with filing a false police report after police accused her of making up a story about her infant son and the boy's father being attacked when the child had actually been injured when she dropped him in their apartment. Authorities allege that Sanders made up the story because she had a run-in with the Administration for Children's Service in the past. 

The child was taken to the hospital in critical condition after the fall and was initially not expected to survive, but his condition was upgraded to stable Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities say the mother told police that she left her Soundview home just after midnight on Monday with the boy, his 1-year-old sister and the children's  22-year-old father and were headed to a Rite Aid when they were beset on by two men in a silver Toyota Camry. 

The mother told police the men got out of their vehicle near Lafayette Avenue and hit the father, who was holding the 2-month-old boy in his arms, with a bat. The father tried to defend himself and the baby, but the infant was hit, the mother alleged, officials said.

The 1-year-old daughter was unharmed; the father fractured his arm as he tried to protect his son and the mother's glasses broke when she tried to stop the attack, according to the story the woman told detectives, a law enforcement source said. A heavy police presence was visible outside the Rite Aid throughout the day as authorities investigated.

A law enforcement source told NBC 4 New York the father wasn't even home when the child was hurt. 

The mother's earlier run-in with ACS involved her 1-year-old daughter last year, a source said. The source said the mother brought the child to a doctor for a checkup and the doctor noticed bruising on the baby's face. ACS investigated and found no apparent abuse.

In a statement, the agency said it was "deeply saddened by this tragic incident" and has launched a thorough investigation. Privacy laws preclude ACS from commenting on any case history.

Attorney information for Sanders wasn't immediately available.

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