Man arrested for allegedly striking 2-year-old in face

The Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department recently arrested an individual from the Pascola, Mo., area for striking a 2-year-old child twice in the face, causing serious injury.

Pemiscot County deputies responded to the residence north of Pascola around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell. He said that during this time medical personnel were dispatched to the scene to respond to a child not breathing.

As medical personnel and law enforcement arrived on the scene, they learned that the child was still not breathing, Greenwell said.

Greenwell said that an air ambulance was dispatched and landed on the scene to airlift the child to Lebonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Greenwell noted that the mother of the child had initially told authorities that she and the child were involved in an ATV wreck around 6 a.m. the same morning. After receiving conflicting stories, law enforcement officials secured the residence and began a criminal investigation, according to Greenwell.

During the course of the investigation, officials determined that the mother's boyfriend, Matthew Dylon Taylor, 23, of Pascola, had allegedly struck the child in the face, twice, causing serious physical injury, Greenwell added.

Taylor is being charged with one count of first-degree assault, according to Greenwell. He added that additional charges should be forthcoming.

The Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department reported Thursday morning that the child was on life support.