Crime & Safety

Infant Bruised 'Head to Toe;' Parents Charged With Abuse, Endangerment

St. Louis County Police said the baby had an unexplained broken arm when he was 1 month old and unexplained bruising at 5 months old.

Parents of a 5-month-old child, who had unexplained bruising “from head to toe,” face felony charges for child abuse and endangerment, police said.

Joshua Anson, 21, of the 3200 block of Sunswept Park Drive in unincorporated North County, was charged April 25 with abuse of a child. He is the child’s father.

The mother, Andrea Nicole Oster, 20, also of the 3200 block of Sunswept Park Drive just north of New Halls Ferry Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, was charged April 25 with first-degree child endangerment.

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St. Louis County Police said the child had an unexplained broken arm when he was 1 month old. At 5 months old, he had multiple bruises on his face, chest, shoulder, foot, buttocks and legs in various stages of healing, police said.

A physician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital told police the infant’s injuries were “consistent with non-accidental trauma.” The physician said since the child could not crawl and is not pre-disposed to bruising from minimal force, the caretakers should have known excessive force was being used.

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Police said the abuse took place between March 2 and June 17, 2012.

St. Louis County Police spokesman Randy Vaughn said the child now is in protective custody.

Bail for Anson has been set at $10,000, cash only. Oster posted 10 percent of a $10,000 bond and was released from custody after being arrested Wednesday.

For more crime information on Florissant Patch, see the following articles:

  • 'Disciplined to Death': Florissant Man Will Serve 22 Years for Killing Girlfriend's 3-Year-Old
  • Could This Baby's Death Have Been Prevented?


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