West Hartford Police: Man Abused Girlfriend While She Held 2-Week-Old Baby

West Hartford Police have charged a man with the "fairly significant and somewhat unique charge" of "cruelty to persons" for a particularly brutal and long-lasting assault of his girlfriend, some of which occurred while she was holding their 2-week-old infant, Lt. Frank Fallon said Tuesday.

Timothy Syms, 30, of 1566 Main St., East Hartford, was arrested at 9 a.m. Saturday. According to police, Syms engaged in a "domestic argument" with his girlfriend and began assaulting her at approximately 9 p.m. Friday. The assault occurred, "fairly continuously" according to Fallon, until Syms left the woman's West Hartford home at approximately 7 a.m. Saturday.

The woman was able to report the incident once Syms left on Saturday morning, Fallon said.

According to Fallon, the assault "almost amounted to torture," which is why "cruelty to persons" was included among the charges. In this case, the Class D felony charge was levied because the assault included what amounted to "intentional torture, torment, and unlawful punishment," said Fallon.

The infant was not seriously injured, police said, but did sustain a minor abrasion. They are not certain exactly how the abrasion was received.

Fallon said the woman was transported to a local hospital, but he did not have further details of her condition.

In addition to the charge of cruelty to persons, Syms has been charged with second-degree assault, third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, risk of injury/impairing morals, second-degree threatening, and first-degree unlawful restraint.

Syms was being held on $100,000 bond and was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Details of his court appearance are not yet available.