Father accused of throwing toddler and fracturing his skull

TAMPA -- Police arrested a Tampa father accused of beating a toddler and fracturing the child's skull.

Dwayne Poole, 23, was arrested shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday on charges of aggravated child abuse.

Poole is accused of throwing 16-month-old Ronderique Anderson on the bed, causing him to hit his head against the wall or the dresser.

Detectives said he also admitted to hitting the child with an open hand and a belt, which bruised his buttocks and legs.

Investigators said Poole wanted to punish the toddler for playing near an electrical wall socket.

The toddler was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a skull fracture and a brain bleed.

Doctors said the child appears to be brain dead, and that he has a minimal chance of surviving the injury.

Family members outragedFamily members said this wasn't the first time Ronderique has been abused. They said he was missing teeth two months ago, teeth that had just grown in, and they say they often saw bruises on the child's body.

Relatives said the boy never should have been in his father's care.

"Brother man's got a history of domestic violence," said Patsy Fortman, Ronderique's Aunt. "Why the baby was even placed there, I don't know."

Family members blame the Florida Dept. of Children and Families for giving the father custody while Ronderique's mom got her life on track.

DCF told the

image: https://cdn.liveleak.com/80281E/ll_a_s/2016/Jan/21/LiveLeak-dot-com-12a_1453358204-download1_1453358509.jpg.resized.jpg?d5e8cc8eccfb6039332f41f6249e92b06c91b4db65f5e99818bdd2954e43dede1430&ec_rate=230

News Poole was court-ordered to care for Ronderique and there were no previous reports alleging Poole had abused the toddler. DCF says Ronderique has been involved in child welfare system since birth.

Lengthy criminal historyA search of the Hillsborough County Jail's arrest records shows a lengthy criminal history for Poole.

He was arrested for the first time in 2005, when he was still a student at Bloomingdale High, on charges of battery. He was arrested two more times the following year, both on charges of battery.

In 2007, Poole was arrested again, this time for driving without a valid driver's license and marijuana possession. He was arrested again in 2008 on similar charges of driving without a valid driver's license.