Deer River Man Charged with Assault and Malicious Punishment of a Child

ITASCA COUNTY, Minn. – A criminal complaint was filed in Itasca County District Court, charging 28-year-old Corey Michael Cloud, of Deer River, Minnesota, with one count of felony Assault in the First Degree and one count of felony Malicious Punishment of a Child – Great Bodily Harm, according to Itasca County Attorney John J. Muhar.

Corey Cloud, Itasca County Jail

These charges stem from Cloud allegedly assaulting and punishing a 2-year-old child between January 20 -31, 2017.

The victim was given a medical exam and found to have suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a lacerated liver while in Cloud’s care. Cloud gave conflicting reports regarding these injuries, and was arrested on February 7.

His first appearance in District Court was on Wednesday, and Bail has been set at $100,000 without conditions and $50,000 with conditions.

Cloud is due back in court on February 13, 2017.

FULL CRIMINAL COMPLAINT: (Warning: Details may be graphic and disturbing in nature.)

STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
The Complainant states that the following facts establish probable cause:
On January 31, 2017, at approximately 4:50 p.m., LT Mike Bliss of the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office
became aware that a 2 year old, R.T.S., DOB: 6-2-14, was at the Deer River Emergency Room with a skull
fracture. Said investigator also learned that the child’s mother, T.M.E. was also present at the emergency
room and had bruising on her. LT Bliss and Deer River Police Officer Pat Richards responded to the
emergency room.

Upon LT Bliss’s arrival at approximately 5:15 p.m., he met with nursing staff who advised him that the child had been brought in by her mother, who reported that she had been called at work by her boyfriend, Corey Michael Cloud. Nursing staff further advised LT Bliss that R.T.S. had skull fractures and several bruises on her body. Said Lieutenant was advised that the child would be transported to Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.

LT Bliss then met with the emergency room doctor, who stated that that it had been reported that the child had slipped on a wet floor and struck her head. The doctor was concerned that the child’s injuries were not consistent with a reported fall of that nature for a 2 year old.

At approximately 5:55 p.m., LT Bliss conducted a non-custodial interview of Cloud at his residence. During the interview, Cloud reported that he was the only adult in the residence in Deer River, Itasca County, at the time the child was injured. He reported that his girlfriend was at work at White Oak Casino. Cloud claimed that he had been feeding R.T.S. and her sister, K.E.S. (age 4) at the kitchen table. Cloud claimed that R.T.S. had been sitting in her booster seat on a chair when she had an accident and peed, which dripped onto the floor. Cloud claimed that when he went to get a rag, he heard a thud and then found R.T.S. lying on the floor near the table, barely conscious. At that time, said Lieutenant observed the booster seat and chair where Cloud claimed R.T.S. had been seated at the time of her reported fall. Said Lieutenant knew from his training and experience that the combined height of the chair and booster seat were not of such height as to cause a falling child to suffer skull fractures. Cloud claimed that after she fell, he carried R.T.S. upstairs, laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Cloud stated that he then went to another apartment to call T.M.E. Cloud stated that when T.M.E. arrived at the residence, she transported R.T.S. to the Deer River Emergency Room.

While LT Bliss was en route to Gillette Children’s Hospital, he spoke with Pediatric Specialist, Dr. Mark
Hudson, who advised him that R.T.S. was actually at Regions Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Dr.
Hudson told LT Bliss that R.T.S. had suffered a large skull fracture to the back of her head which wrapped around both sides of the skull. Dr. Hudson also indicated that R.T.S. had two fractured ribs which appeared to be 7 to 10 days old. Dr. Hudson also indicated that R.T.S. had a possible compression fracture of the spine and a lacerated liver that had possibly occurred on January 27, 2017. Dr. Hudson indicated that he had spoken with T.M.E., who reported that R.T.S. had been complaining of a stomach ache when she arrived home from work on Sunday, January 27, 2017. T.M.E. also reported to Dr. Hudson that R.T.S. had vomited that day.

On February 1, 2017, at approximately 8:20 a.m., LT Bliss conducted another non-custodial interview of
Cloud at Regions Children’s Hospital. Cloud initially continued to give the same account of how R.T.S. had suffered the skull fractures that he had given on January 31, 2017. However, Cloud, ultimately admitted that the story about R.T.S. falling from the booster seat was not true. Cloud then claimed that R.T.S. and K.E.S. had been upstairs in the residence. Cloud claimed that when ran up the stairs of the residence, he reached 2 a corner in the stairs and did not see R.T.S. coming down the stairs. He claimed that he struck her in the temple/ear area on the left side of her head with his knee. Cloud claimed that he unintentionally knocked R.T.S. down during the collision. LT Bliss noted that Cloud’s description of the incident was inconsistent with the medical evidence which indicated that R.T.S.’s primary injury was on the back of her head, not on the side of her head where Cloud claimed to have struck her with his knee.

On February 2, 2017, at approximately 11:10 a.m., LT Bliss spoke with Dr. Hudson by phone. LT Bliss
explained to Dr. Hudson how Cloud claimed that R.T.S. had suffered the injury to her head. Dr. Hudson
stated that Cloud’s explanation was not consistent with the location of R.T.S.’s primary injury, nor was it
consistent with the “mechanism of injury” to the child. Dr. Hudson stated that the injury to R.T.S.’s skull would be considered “great bodily harm.”

On February 7, 2017, at approximately 1:50 p.m., LT Bliss conducted a non-custodial interview of Cloud
outside his grandmother’s residence. Said Lieutenant explained to Cloud what Dr. Hudson had told him
about R.T.S.’s injuries. Cloud continued to claim that R.T.S.’s head injuries had been caused by his knee
striking her in the head as he tried to go up the stairs. Cloud apologized for lying to LT Bliss in his first
statement when he claimed that R.T.S. had fallen from the booster chair onto the floor. At the conclusion of the interview, LT Bliss left, while Cloud remained at the residence.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., Deputy Ryan Gunderson placed Cloud under arrest and transported him to the Itasca County jail.