A Chestnut Mound man has been arrested and charged after allegedly abusing a four-year-old child in Smith County.
Reports stated the child was severely injured at her home on Sunday. She was taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
On Wednesday, agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began their investigation into her injuries.
Authorities said they developed information that led them to 20-year-old Ralph Mendez, the boyfriend of the child’s mother.
Officials said they believe Mendez was directly responsible for the child’s injuries.
Mendez was arrested on Thursday. He was charged with aggravated child abuse and was being held in the Smith County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
