GAINESVILLE, GA – A Hall County man is facing serious child cruelty charges after authorities say his two-month-old twins suffered injuries, including a traumatic brain bleed, earlier this month.
Emergency dispatchers received a distressing 911 call on the morning of Jan. 11 from a Gainesville residence on Shuler Road, reporting that an infant was not breathing. Paramedics arrived promptly and transported the 8-week-old baby to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where physicians found evidence of a brain bleed, indicating severe head trauma.
Medical professionals later diagnosed the injuries as being consistent with violent shaking, a hallmark of abusive head trauma. Investigators learned the apparent injuries matched a scenario where an infant’s head is rapidly jerked back and forth, a movement known to cause potentially fatal damage to fragile brains and blood vessels.
As medical staff worked urgently to care for the hospitalized child, Hall County deputies launched a welfare check at the home to ensure the safety of the infant’s twin sibling. The welfare check revealed that the second child was also hurt, showing signs of bruising on the leg, according to law enforcement officials.
Authorities say that both sets of injuries can be attributed to the children’s father, Julian Chase Jalbert Sr., who was present at the time. The investigation led deputies to believe both infants suffered physical harm as a result of his actions.
Jalbert was taken into custody at the hospital several days after the initial emergency call. He now faces charges including cruelty to children and battery, according to jail records. The gravity of the cruelty charge has resulted in Jalbert being held without bond, while a bond of $5,700 was set for the battery allegation.
The two infants have since been placed under the care of the Georgia Division of Family and Children’s Services, as authorities continue their investigation into the case. Officials have not released an anticipated date for Jalbert’s first court appearance.
Cases of shaking or physically abusing young children often result in permanent physical and neurological damage, and authorities warn such incidents can quickly escalate from quiet family concerns to medical emergencies.
Local investigators are now working to piece together how long the injuries may have gone undetected and whether there were any signs of prior abuse. For now, the twins remain under state supervision as law enforcement and child protective services determine the best path forward for the infants’ well-being.
No further information regarding the condition of either child has been made public. The investigation is ongoing.