Florida man stuffs balled-up baby wipe down infant's throat, police say

Michael Hurley, 32, faces attempted murder charge

Michael Hurley, 32, is accused of trying to choke a 5-month-old by sticking a baby wipe down the infant's throat.

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – A Florida man was arrested Wednesday after he stuffed a balled-up baby wipe down an infant's throat, police said.

Michael Hurley, 32, faces a charge of first-degree attempted murder.

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Tarpon Springs police said the 5-month-old's mother came home from work Tuesday night and found the child choking. She ran out of the house screaming for help, and neighbors held the baby upside down while the mother stuck two fingers into the baby's mouth and pulled out the wipe.

Hurley told police he was home alone with the child at the time but "cannot remember" and "does not know what happened." He went on to say that he "knows this looks bad" and claimed it must have been a "freak accident."

According to an arrest affidavit, police searched the home and found the wipe "securely balled up" and "completely saturated in blood," but the inside of the wipe, when unwrinkled, was free of any blood. This led police to believe that the wipe had been balled up and intentionally stuffed deep into the child's throat.

The infant was listed in critical condition at a hospital, was medically sedated and breathing on a ventilator.