Sorry punk beats 4 year old, Mom ignores

A four year old child is in critical condition after undergoing brain surgery at LSUHSC yesterday afternoon. She was abused by her mother’s live-in boyfriend, Joshua Hastings, who claimed that he ‘accidentally’ struck her in the head with his knee, knocking her out. He also admitted to beating her with a belt on July 26th and hitting her in the head and face on July 27th.
So the girl’s mother, Rebecca Smith, in her infinite wisdom, left him to babysit the child and two others yesterday.  Smith was also arrested for failing to get medical attention for the child. Both Hastings and Smith face charges for Possession of Marijuana, Drug Paraphernalia and three counts of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor. Here is a little background on Hastings.
Civil
On the Civil side Hastings’ former girlfriend, with whom he has a child, filed for a protective order on May 8, 2008. She alleged that on April 30, 2008 he:
‘came to my house broke in a window knocked on the door got back in a window. Then I preceded (sic) to the bedroom not knowing he was there. The window was open, his boots were on the ground. I turned around turned the light on he was behind the door. Some yelling occurred he went towards the door, said he was (illegible) after revenge. He threatened the other person who was at my residence finally he left after I called the police’.
As to past incidents, she alleged:
‘There was a charge of Domestic Violence around December of 2006.
There have been several times in which I thought I was in danger. He drove off in my vehicle when I was still on it when I was pregnant, he slammed the on my head. He mentally manipulated & abused me, he choked me so hard I passed out, one time I told him I didn’t want to have intercourse he did it anyways.’
She was granted an order of protection until November 20, 2009.
The order was dismissed at the girlfriend’s request on July 9, 2009.
‘Josh and I have reconciled and are on better terms. We feel we have both grown and learned from our past. We are civil now I feel no threat towards him. I would like to join back into a relationship with him. I feel that this would also benefit the child that we share.’
Apparently this rosy scenario didn’t work out, because now he is abusing someone else. Hastings and his girlfriend both filed for custody, but it was continued and never pursued.
Criminal
Not in chronological order. On the Domestic Violence charge mentioned in the application for the protective order, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail and given credit for time served.
On December 8, 2005, he was charged with Possession of Marijuana, paraphernalia, speeding and driving under suspension. He was fined $500 and 90 days probation.
In mid-2008 he was charged with two counts of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, that of his girlfriend with whom he had a child. This was while he was under the order of protection and a year before she asked for it to be dismissed.
He was sentenced to 3 years, suspended, and 3 years probation. He later violated the terms of probation, and was ordered by Judge Craig to serve the original sentence, with credit for any time already served.
In June of 2011 he was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Oxycodone. On December 6th he was sentenced to five years, suspend all but one year, with credit for time served. He is currently still on probation.
I would like to offer a couple of other comments about these women who enable a thug like this, but I will refrain; after all, a 4 year old is in peril and that should receive our attention at the moment.