Alexander Karangis, 27, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, brought his limp and lifeless 2-month-old son to Geisinger Community Medical Center on January 8. The child was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where a child abuse physician determined the injuries were caused by a traumatic event, possibly shaking or throwing the baby. The child was initially to be taken off life support but started breathing on his own; however, he was declared brain dead and expected to remain in a permanent vegetative state. Karangis was charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. He told police he has bipolar disorder but denied ever physically abusing the baby.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The news article states that "a child abuse physician on staff told investigators the injuries were caused by a traumatic event, possibly shaking or throwing the baby." This indicates inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
The news article explicitly references shaking: "the injuries were caused by a traumatic event, possibly shaking or throwing the baby." The headline also references "father shook severely injured his son." The child was described as brain dead, consistent with abusive head trauma.
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The news article states "A Scranton man faces felony charges after his 2-month-old son was found with severe injuries while in his care." Alexander Karangis is the biological father of the child and is charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The news article states: "Alexander Karangis, 27, of Scranton, is charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article states: "Karangis told police he has bipolar disorder and sometimes gets into arguments." This is an explicit reference to the parent/caregiver's mental health.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The news article describes an unusual medical situation: "The boy was to be taken off life support, started to breathe on his own, and was readmitted to the ICU. Doctors began treatment again even though the baby was brain dead and would remain in a vegetative state." This detail — that the child began breathing independently after being taken off life support but remained brain dead — is a notable medical and potentially ethical circumstance not captured by preceding questions.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.