Elizabeth Crider Superintendent, Regional Office of Education | Peoria County
Elizabeth Crider Superintendent, Regional Office of Education | Peoria County
June 17, 2025, Peoria, IL – Gabriel A. King, aged 24, faces charges of aggravated battery for allegedly abusing his two-month-old child. The infant sustained three brain bleeds, an upper arm fracture near the shoulder, and multiple bruises. Following a detention hearing today, the court granted the State's Petition to Detain King until his trial.
The case came to light on June 3 when a DCFS caseworker reported the abuse to the Peoria Police Department after visiting a hospital earlier that day. The child's mother stated she was with the baby on May 31 and June 1 and noticed no injuries at that time.
On June 2, the mother left her child in King's care while she went to work. Later that day, King informed her that the baby was crying uncontrollably. Upon returning home in the evening, she found her baby screaming unusually and observed bruising during a diaper change. This prompted them to take the infant to the hospital.
In a police interview, King admitted feeling "overstimulated and overwhelmed" while caring for the baby. He claimed that he might have handled the child too roughly and mentioned an incident where he grabbed the baby's arm after a fall but could not clearly recall events from that day. King was subsequently arrested on Friday.
Medical professionals determined that the baby's injuries were consistent with non-accidental trauma indicative of child abuse.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521.
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