Police: Uniontown man accused in baby's death charged with injuring another child

A Uniontown man accused in the 2019 death of an East Huntingdon baby was charged Tuesday in connection with injuries to his 14-month-old son, according to court papers.

Derrick A. Bass, 29, was watching the boy in Monessen in October 2018 when police said the child was hurt.

Bass is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on new charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment.

Monessen police filed the charges Tuesday. Police said in court papers they were investigating a reported assault at a Manown Street apartment involving Bass and his girlfriend on Oct. 12, 2018, when they noticed the boy’s injuries.

The child had bumps on his head, red marks on his neck and small cuts to the back of his head. Police said in court papers that the boy didn’t respond to police or caseworkers who tried to engage with him.

He was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where a doctor said the boy had injuries indicative of physical abuse after being in the care of his father for eight hours. The injuries included multiple facial and scalp bruises as well as hand lesions associated with healing burns, medical records showed.

The child’s mother told police the boy fell out of his playpen the day prior while she was not at home.

Bass has been held at the Westmoreland County Prison without bail since August on homicide and related charges in connection with the July 13 drowning death of 11-month-old Niomie Rose Miller.

Bass was watching Niomie at Laurel Hill Apartments near Scottdale while her mother was at work. Police said Bass and the girl’s mother had just started dating. When the mother returned home from work, she found Niomie’s body underneath blankets in a playpen.

Bass fled to Ohio and authorities eventually tracked him down there. Police said Bass took two televisions, 27 DVDs and personal documents from the apartment.

No court action has been set in the homicide case.