CLAY COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Clay County man has been arrested and charged with felony child abuse following an investigation into injuries sustained by an infant.
On March 22, 2025, law enforcement officers responded to Summersville Emergency Room after receiving a report of a possible child abuse incident.
A three-month-old infant was brought to the hospital with significant injuries, including bruising on both sides of the ribcage, dried blood under the nostrils, a swollen left eye, and damage to the lungs.
Due to the severity of the infant’s condition, the child was later transferred to Ruby Memorial Children’s Hospital for further treatment.
According to the criminal complaint, the infant’s mother had received the child from Timothy L. Ferrebee, of Clay County, during a custody exchange and immediately noticed the injuries.
Concerned, she took the child to the emergency room and reported the incident to authorities.
West Virginia State Police responded to the case and made contact with Ferrebee at his residence.
During questioning, Ferrebee initially denied responsibility for the bruising but later admitted to squeezing the infant while alone with the child.
In a written statement, he claimed he was frustrated from work and verbal arguments and took out those frustrations by squeezing the infant.
Investigators, along with Child Protective Services, determined that the injuries, including bruising patterns and petechiae, were consistent with abuse.
Two other children present in the home were temporarily removed as a precaution.
Ferrebee was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse by strangulation and one count of child abuse causing serious bodily injury.
He was transported to Central Regional Jail where he remains on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
