Ex-Raider charged with child abuse

By Rachel McCormick

Saturday, October 15, 2005 2:03 AM CDT

RACINE - A 25-year-old man was formally charged Friday with physical abuse of a child with high probability of causing great bodily harm and first-degree reckless injury for allegedly causing serious head trauma to his infant daughter.

Cardell H. Gallagher is accused of causing brain injuries to his eight-week-old daughter as well as multiple bruises and abrasions to her face, ears, neck, abdomen, flank and thighs, according to the criminal complaint filed at the Racine County Courthouse.

Gallagher has denied the accusations and claims his daughter fell out of her bassinet while he was in the shower.

Gallagher made his initial appearance Friday afternoon. Racine County Court Commissioner John Bjelajac set Gallagher's bond at $75,000 cash at the request of Assistant District Attorney Robert Repischak.

Defense Attorney Reyna Morales asked for a $1,000 cash bond.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. in Branch Five at the Law Enforcement Center.

If convicted on all counts Gallagher faces 44 years in prison and up to a $150,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint: Gallagher told police he had been in the shower around 11 a.m. that morning and left the infant and a 17-month-old child in a room together.

While in the bathroom he heard the infant crying and then heard a thump followed by louder crying.

When Gallagher came out of the bathroom he saw the infant lying face down on the floor pinned underneath a tipped over bassinet.

Gallagher said the infant behaved and ate normally the rest of the day, the complaint says.

When the girl's mother, who is also married to Gallagher, returned home from work around 3 p.m. Gallagher told her what happened and she immediately took the girl to St. Mary's Medical Center.

Medical staff performed a CT Scan at found bleeding in the child's brain. The girl began to have seizures and had to be transported by Flight For Life to Children's Hospital in Wauwatosa.

Physicians at Children's Hospital indicated that the injuries the girl received were consistent with shaken baby syndrome and that the child is a victim of severe recent inflicted head trauma and physical abuse.

The infant remains hospitalized police said Friday.

Gallagher has a prior criminal record for misdemeanor disorderly conduct in 2003, failure to maintain sex-offender registry in 2002 and battery in 1999.

Gallagher played for the Racine Raiders from 2001 through the current season.

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