CHICORA — A teenage mother is headed for trial on charges that she assaulted her infant son, leaving the boy with numerous bruises.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton ordered Selina S. Campbell-McDowell, 18, of Grove City held for court on felony assault and other charges at a preliminary hearing Tuesday in Chicora.

Trooper Brian Palko testified he learned the victim, then 21 months old, was taken by private vehicle Dec. 21 to Butler Memorial Hospital for injuries first reported to have been “sustained in a fall.”

An examination at the hospital found “bruising everywhere on the (child),” Palko said. Butler County Children & Youth Services was notified.

The boy was subsequently taken to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for further examination.

“That examination revealed contusions to the child's right ear, abrasions with a scab on the nose, an abrasion on the forehead,” the trooper said, “bruising on the right upper arm, bruising on the left shoulder/bicep.”

Additionally, he continued, the infant had “bruising on the chest, contusions to the right lower tibia” and the groin.

A physician at Children's Hospital, Palko testified, “documented the injuries to be associated with physical abuse.”

The trooper during his investigation interviewed Campbell-McDowell.

“She admitted causing some of the documented bruising,” he said, “and she described the injuries were sustained as a result of her squeezing (the infant) too tightly.”

On cross-examination by the defendant's attorney, Natalie Snyder, Palko acknowledged that he had not gone to either hospital where the child was taken as part of his investigation.

Snyder also questioned if he knew whether anyone else might have had custody of the infant at the time he was injured.

“From my understanding,” Palko said, “(Campbell-McDowell) was the sole caretaker of the child.”

Following testimony, Snyder asked Stoughton to dismiss the top count — aggravated assault of a child less than 6 years old, a felony.

“Based on the trooper's testimony,” she said, “the description of the bruising, I don't believe that it rises quite to the level of the felony aggravated assault.”

She also argued the prosecution did not show that her client intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused the injuries, which is a required element of the crime under state law.

Snyder said, “I just don't think that they've shown enough that she was the only person (who) could have caused these injuries.”

Prosecutor Russ Karl, a Butler County assistant district attorney, told Stoughton there was sufficient evidence presented to sustain the felony charge.

“(Campbell-McDowell) admitted that some of the injuries were caused by herself squeezing the child too hard,” he said. “We have shown bodily injury that meets the (legal) definition based on the age of the child.”

Stoughton ruled the defendant be held for trial on the aggravated assault charge as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault and child endangerment.

“I believe,” he said, “these issues need to be decided by a jury.”

Campbell-McDowell is free on her own recognizance.