An Excuse That Rivals the Twinkie Defense

When a 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident was asked why he beat his girlfriend's two-year-old son severely enough to cause bleeding around the toddler's brain, he responded, "I was working till midnight. I'm not a morning person."

WTF?!?

Juan Arreola, 20, pleaded guilty last month to two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and simple assault. Prosecutors said while moving into a new apartment with his girlfriend on June 7, Arreola kicked her son out of the way, then squeezed the toddler's face.

While looking after the boy three days later, he punched the boy twice, prosecutors said. Arreola's girlfriend brought the child to a hospital later that day, where he was diagnosed with bleeding around the brain. Photos show the boy with severe bruising on his face and back.

The judge ordered Arreola to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations and set sentencing for Dec. 14. The maximum penalty is a state prison term of more than 20 years.

Portions of this Blog courtesy of Fox News.