Vincent Zappa (Macomb County Prosecutor's Office).
A Michigan man will spend several years — and possibly several decades — behind bars for severely beating his girlfriend's 8-month-old baby boy and causing a brain bleed.
In January, Vincent Zappa, 26, was convicted by a jury of his peers in Macomb County on one count of child abuse in the first degree. On Thursday, he was sentenced by Macomb Circuit Judge Joseph Toia to between 18 and 30 years in prison.
The underlying incident occurred in late October 2024 at a residence in Warren, a large city and inner-ring suburb of Detroit.
On the day in question, Zappa was babysitting the infant while his girlfriend was at work and personally called 911 to report that the baby "was not acting himself," according to a press release issued by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office at the time.
Emergency medical services arrived and took the baby boy to a nearby hospital in critical condition. There, the child was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed, or acute subdural hematoma. Medical staff also found bruising all along the baby's head, neck, and chest.
In the weeks following his arrest, the defendant was referred for a psychological evaluation for culpability and criminal responsibility at the Center for Forensic Psychology.
Last month, after several years of pretrial wrangling, Zappa went on trial.
During the two-week trial, the state provided evidence the defendant "caused devastating injuries to the child," prosecutors announced in a follow-up press release earlier this year.
In addition to the brain bleed and the bruising all over his body, the child suffered "more than 100 retinal hemorrhages in both eyes" and was bleeding "from the mouth" due to the abuse inflicted by Zappa.
Several physicians who treated the victim testified about the severity of the trauma inflicted on the infant, as well as the long-term effects such injuries can have on a child, prosecutors said.
On Jan. 16, deliberations began. Jurors returned the next day and found the defendant guilty as charged, according to Macomb Daily.
"I want to recognize the tireless efforts of law enforcement, the medical professionals who provided lifesaving care and testimony, and the jury for ensuring accountability in this case," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement. "My office exists to protect the innocent and to speak for children who cannot speak for themselves. We will relentlessly pursue justice against those who abuse and endanger our most vulnerable members of the community."
In addition to his prison term, Zappa is prohibited from having any contact with the victim or the victim's family, according to a courtroom report by Detroit-based NBC affiliate WDIV.
The defendant will also be required to register as an offender under Wyatt's Law, a Wolverine State database for those convicted of crimes against children.
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