Muskegon Heights woman charged in beating of her toddler daughter

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI -- A Muskegon Heights woman faces three felony charges related to an alleged attack against two family members, including her 11-month-old daughter.

Lakisha Patton, 39, is accused of beating her toddler and stabbing the child's father. The child was taken to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, said Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat. He did not yet have an update on her condition.

While prosecutors await a medical report about the extent of the child's injuries, Patton is being held at Muskegon County Jail on a $100,000 surety bond. She was arraigned May 15.

The girl suffered a broken skull and multiple bruises, Muskegon Heights Police Chief Joseph Thomas said at the time of Patton's arrest. She and her father were first taken to Mercy Health's Hackley campus, where the father was treated for a stab wound to the back. The girl was later transferred to the Grand Rapids children's hospital for what Thomas described as "very severe" injuries.

Patton faces charges of second degree child abuse and assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, for the allegations against the child, and assault with a dangerous weapon for the allegations against her partner, the child's father.

The arrival of the baby's medical report "may or may not influence our charging decision," but the charges now are "based upon the facts as we know them," Maat said.

Patton was arrested on Friday, May 15 in Muskegon Heights after police responded to calls for help at around 12:30 a.m. at the 2900 block of Seventh Street, and found Patton acting "erratically."

There, her partner told officers that she had "been acting strange" and had "assaulted her baby," Thomas previously told MLive, as well as attacking her partner.

Patton is alleged to have slammed and smothered the baby, and attacked the baby's father with a knife.

Patton has been scheduled for a probably cause hearing on May 26, and a preliminary hearing on June 2.

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