Prosecutors: Father injured newborn in drunken spat

A Flathead County man faces a criminal endangerment charge after allegedly injuring his newborn child during a drunken argument with his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

Joseph Richard Riggs, 38, remains in the county jail on the felony charge with bail set at $25,000. His arraignment before Judge Dan Wilson in Flathead County District Court is scheduled for Jan. 5.

Riggs’ arrest came after deputies with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office headed to a home on Montana 40 near Columbia Falls following a 911 hangup, court documents said. Arriving deputies could hear screaming and shouting from inside the home.

Entering the house, deputies found two men struggling. One, identified as the brother of Riggs’ girlfriend, accused the 38-year-old of assaulting his sibling, according to court documents.

Riggs’ girlfriend told investigators that she and Riggs began arguing after he became drunk, court documents said. She prepared to leave and put their one-month-old child in a car seat, but left him unstrapped. In an attempt to stop their departure, Riggs allegedly grabbed the car seat, sending the child out of it.

During the ensuing commotion, the child allegedly hit his head on a propane tank. Taken to Logan Health for treatment, a CT Scan revealed a subdural hematoma, or bleeding in the head, according to court documents.

If convicted, Riggs faces up to 10 years in the Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.