SALISBURY — A man was arrested on Friday after police say he broke the leg of his 7-week-old infant.

Deputies with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation into the man after being notified on Nov. 9, 2023, that a 7-week-old child had been admitted to the hospital because of a broken femur, a spokesperson for the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said.

During the course of the investigation, deputies reportedly discovered that the father of the child harmed the infant by grabbing it roughly by the leg. The alleged abuse happened after the father became frustrated because the infant’s foot kept getting caught in its pants leg.

The investigation was completed recently and the father was arrested on Friday. Elijah Russell Freeman, 30, was arrested and charged with felony child abuse causing a serious physical injury. He was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center and given a $50,000 bond, which the spokesperson said he posted. 

The Rowan County Department of Social Services conducted an investigation into the abuse and is handling the ongoing safety of the child, according to the spokesperson.