A Northglenn man is being held on suspicion of child abuse after police say he confessed to pummeling his 4-year-old stepson in the head.
The boy, Kurt Green, underwent emergency surgery Friday at Children’s Hospital, where he is currently in critical condition, according to a police news release.
Kurt’s stepfather, Michael Ochsner, and Kurt’s mother took the boy to North Suburban Medical Center Friday afternoon. There, Ochsner told the hospital staff that Kurt had fallen down a flight of stairs a day earlier while Ochsner was looking after him, according to Northglenn police.
But doctors were suspicious of the story because they believed the injuries to Kurt’s head and body weren’t consistent with a fall, police said.
Hospital workers called police. Meanwhile, Kurt was flown to Children’s for surgery.
Once police began questioning Ochsner, he “admitted to detectives he struck Kurt with a closed fist out of anger,” according to the news release. Ochsner said he had tried to cover up his actions, according to police.
Ochsner was booked into the Adams County jail on suspicion of felony child abuse.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
