Excuse for child abuse: I’m ‘not a morning person’

A man pleaded guilty for beating his girlfriend’s two year old son but offered an excuse that outraged the judge. He said to the judge that he works late and he is not a morning person.

Juan Arreola, 20, was moving into a new apartment with his girlfriend on June 7. While he was moving boxes into the apartment, his girlfriend’s child walked into his path. He became angry and kicked his son out of the way, then squeezed the two year old’s face. As if that is not enough, while he was babysitting the boy three days later, he punched the boy twice severely; his girlfriend had to take him to the hospital that day. The boy was diagnosed with bleeding around the brain. The photos at the hospital showed a severe bruise on his face and back. He pleaded guilty in the Northampton County, Pennsylvania, courts to two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and simple assault. When the Judge F. P. Kimberly McFadden asked Arreola, whether this is how he treated children. To which he replied:

I was working till midnight. I'm not a morning person."

The judge went speechless at this answer and probably will add some additional months to the prison term. She ordered Arreola to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations. If convicted on all charges he faces a prison term of more than 20 years. The judge should have sentenced his girlfriend also in leaving her child to this monster, she maybe another “morning person”.