A Revere man beat his then-girlfriend’s child so badly that he may suffer permanent disabilities, then violated a restraining order by calling the mother more than a dozen times in the middle of the night, Suffolk County District County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s top child abuse prosecutor said today.
JOSEPH TESTA (D.O.B. 5/19/82) was indicted July 5 on charges of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury, assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury, aggravated assault and battery, child endangerment, and violation of a restraining order. The indictments move Testa’s case from Chelsea District Court, where he was previously arraigned, to Suffolk Superior Court, where it will be adjudicated.
“This child was beaten so badly that homicide detectives led the investigation,” Conley said. “Through doctors’ efforts and God’s grace, he’s now expected to survive, but the full extent of his brain injuries and his long-term prognosis are unclear. This is an extremely serious case of child abuse.”
Calling the evidence against Testa “overwhelming,” Assistant District Attorney David Deakin recommended that Testa’s bail be set at $250,000 cash. Clerk Magistrate Connie Wong set bail at $25,000 – the sum of $15,000 bail set on the abuse case and $10,000 bail set on a subsequent restraining order violation, both in Chelsea court. Testa has posted that amount and Wong ordered that he remain under house arrest, wear a monitoring bracelet on his ankle, and have no contact with the victim of the abuse or the victim’s mother.
Deakin told the court that Testa beat the boy on April 21 “and, in the course of the beating that day, caused injuries to various parts of the boy’s body.” When the boy woke the next morning and appeared to be unwell, Testa took custody of the child while the boy’s mother – Testa’s girlfriend at the time – went to work.
A short time after that, Deakin said, Testa and the child were observed across Revere Beach Parkway from the mother’s home with the boy unresponsive and Testa on the phone. Several witnesses realized that Testa, who had given a series of possible explanations for the boy’s condition, had not called 911 for help.
Good Samaritans called 911, the boy was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, and Testa was interviewed by Revere Police and State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office.
The boy underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries, including the removal of a portion of his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain, Deakin said. The boy was also suffering from bruises to his back, flank, and other parts of the body. Medical experts are of the opinion that none of the injuries were consistent with accidental or self-inflicted injuries.
As he did with passersby, Testa allegedly gave police several contradictory accounts of what had caused the boy’s injuries. None of them, Deakin said, were consistent with medical professionals’ opinions.
Following his April 25 arraignment in Chelsea District Court, Deakin said, the child’s mother obtained a restraining order barring him from contacting either of them. On May 13, Testa allegedly place 13 calls from two separate phones to her between 1:48 a.m. and 6:04 a.m., violating the court’s order.
Nicole Crosta is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Attorney Shannon McAuliffe represents the defendant. The case will return to court on Aug. 16 to set a trial date.
