A 39-year-old Cherokee County man will spend 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to abusing his infant son.
Anthony Eugene Manzi pleaded guilty on Feb. 5 to three counts of first-degree cruelty to children.
What’s happening: Manzi admitted he caused a traumatic brain injury to his 5-month-old son, slapped the child in the face, and did not get the boy medical help right away, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office said. The boy survived but still has physical and intellectual limitations. Superior Court Judge Jennifer L. Davis handed down the sentence as both sides had agreed.
Under Georgia law, the most someone can get for first-degree cruelty to a child is 20 years in prison.
What we know: The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office started looking into the case on Aug. 15, 2024. That day, the boy was treated at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and later moved to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite.
Manzi told detectives the boy “would not stop screaming” on Aug. 14, 2024, and appeared to be in pain. The next morning, Manzi said the child looked dazed and had trouble eating.
