Two parents in New Hanover County have been arrested and charged with felony child abuse after their 2-month-old infant was hospitalized with devastating injuries earlier this summer.
According to the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), officers were called to a local hospital on July 3 after medical staff observed that the baby was suffering from “a skull fracture, broken ribs and a fractured femur.” The alarming injuries triggered an immediate investigation.
Detectives from WPD partnered with the Department of Social Services to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s condition. Following weeks of inquiries, authorities determined there was sufficient evidence to charge the child’s parents, identified as 33-year-old Marion Lever Hoffman III and 31-year-old Brittany Zito.
Both were arrested and charged with intentional child abuse resulting in serious physical injury as well as negligent child abuse resulting in serious physical injury, the department confirmed. On August 20, Hoffman and Zito appeared in court, where they were each assigned court-appointed attorneys. Both remain in custody on a $300,000 secured bond, reports KGNS.
Court records show this is not Hoffman’s first encounter with child abuse charges. In 2019, he was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, for which he received a parole sentence that ended in 2022. That history has raised serious concerns within the community about the safety of children under his care.
The condition of the infant has not been publicly disclosed, but the severity of the injuries underscores the seriousness of the allegations. Law enforcement officials have not released further details about how the injuries occurred or whether the child remains in the custody of medical professionals or has been placed under the care of social services.
Felony child abuse charges in North Carolina carry significant penalties, including lengthy prison terms if convicted. Prosecutors are expected to pursue the case aggressively, given the infant’s age and the nature of the injuries.
The Wilmington Police Department emphasized that the case is still under investigation, and additional details may emerge as it proceeds through the courts. For now, the arrests of Hoffman and Zito have left the community shaken, as many await answers on how such a young child could have endured such severe trauma.