Abilene Mom Arrested for Brutally Slamming Infant onto Changing Table

ABILENE— An Abilene mother has been arrested for injuring her two-month-old infant by shaking and slamming the child into a changing table.

According to court documents, on November 15, 2023, Child Protective Services informed law enforcement that a two-month-old had been flown from Abilene to Fort Worth for treatment at Cook Children’s Medical Center due to non-accidental trauma.

CPS said that the infant was first taken to an Abilene hospital as the child was not acting right and twitching. Officials with the hospital quickly discovered a brain injury in the form of a subdermal hemorrhage. The infant also had bruising to her body and right eye. Her parents were not able to recall any accidents to explain the state of the child.

The child's mother, Clarissa Stewart, was interviewed and waived her Miranda Rights. Stewart allegedly admitted to slamming the two-month-old infant into the changing table and also shaking the child. She said that she did this due to the child crying from 7:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

After Stewart did this, the infant started to have seizures for about six hours. Her cellphone wa searched and she had been searching the internet for:

• “What are the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome?”
• “Why is baby sleeping more than usual?”
• “How long for shaken baby symptoms to appear?”

Stewart had also texted her husband saying, “I want nothing to do with (the baby) when you’re off. I can’t stand her anymore the second she cries, it throws me into a rage I didn’t know I could have,” and “It’s getting harder and harder to love her.”.

The infant had brain surgery and could be on a feeding tube due to the injuries Stewart allegedly gave her.

Stewart was arrested and booked into the Taylor County Jail and charged with Injury to a Child. Her bond has been set at $100,000.