Mother, father charged with felony child abuse of 4-week-old infant

A mother and father have been charged with abusing their 4-week-old infant.

Ashley Martin, 21, and DA'Shane Ellison, 27, both from Virginia, were arrested by the Wake Forest Police Department.

According to the warrants, the baby was injured on Thursday, suffering a broken arm, two broken ribs, two broken toes, a fracture in the lower leg and fluid in the brain.

Both face a charge of felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.

The warrants identified Martin and Ellison as the infant's parents.

Martin, was arrested Thursday at WakeMed in Raleigh. Authorities are holding him on a $500,000 secured bond.

Ellison was arrested Friday at a Wake Forest address, according to the warrant.

Martin appeared visibly upset in court Friday upon hearing that she could face 30 to 40 years in prison if convicted of felony child abuse.

"What? I did not do this, Your Honor," Martin said.

A state prosecutor explained in court that police were called and interviewed the baby's parents.

"Ellison admitted to being too rough with the child, said he may have rolled over on her while she was sleeping on the couch next to him," the prosecutor said.

Court documents also say both parents repeatedly changed their stories about what happened on the night of Aug. 29. 

The judge reduced Martin's bond to $200,000 secured but maintained Ellison's bond at $500,000 due to his prior criminal history, which includes a misdemeanor assault charge.

"You can have no contact at all with that minor victim, stay any place they may be living, receiving temporary shelter, not to harm them in any way," the judge said in court.

Both Martin and Ellison are scheduled to appear in court again on Sept.19.

WRAL News reached out to the Department of Social Services to find out who currently has custody of the baby.

The department said it could not confirm the existence of a child welfare investigation.

No information has been released regarding the child's condition.