Father surrenders in beating

An Upper Darby man wanted in the beating of his 3-month-old son has surrendered to police.

Henry Paris III, 32, remained in custody yesterday, charged in the Nov. 24 attack on Henry Paris IV, who was in stable condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Paris arrived at Upper Darby police headquarters late Friday with relatives, Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

"He's facing significant charges: aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, endangering the welfare of a child, causing serious bodily injury to a child," Chitwood said. "If convicted, he could face between 15 and 20 years in prison."

Chitwood said police would seek a high bail at Paris' arraignment.

The child suffered a skull fracture and three broken ribs, injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma, according to a police affidavit.

"Due to the significance of the injuries . . . we suspect that he will be dependent on others for the rest of his life," Chitwood said earlier last week.

The child was rushed to the hospital the night of Nov. 24 after a babysitter, trying to feed him, saw his eyes rolled back and his body tensed and then limp, according to the affidavit.

The left side of the baby's skull had been fractured, and a large amount of blood had pooled around his brain, a doctor at Children's Hospital said. The child's ribs were broken as if someone had squeezed him, according to the affidavit.

When questioned by police Nov. 26, Paris said his son sometimes cried for 30 minutes at a time. It was frustrating, he said, and he sometimes put the baby on his lap until he "chilled," according to the affidavit.

Paris, of the 3700 block of Taylor Avenue in Drexel Hill, fled Thursday night and became the subject of a nationwide alert.

According to police, he telephoned Naz Alvi, the baby's mother, on Friday and said he had accidently dropped his son when he was drunk sometime in the last month.

Two former coworkers told police that Paris had a quick temper. Records show he is awaiting trial in Philadelphia on bookmaking charges.