Mills man charged with felony child abuse, accused of beating 8-week-old

CASPER (WNE) — A Mills man is facing charges of felony child abuse after authorities say he caused an 8-week-old infant to be life-flighted after medical professionals discovered a brain hemorrhage in a child under his care. 

Matthew Lopez, 22, faces one count of aggravated child abuse and a count of child abuse. Both are felonies. The former count carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. 

The second count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. 

Authorities said they were tipped to a possible incident involving Lopez and the baby on Oct. 29, when the infant was admitted to Banner Wyoming Medical Center and discovered to have a brain bleed, broken leg and eye bruising, according to an affidavit filed with the charges on Dec. 31. The infant was flown to the Children's Hospital of Colorado. 

The mother of the child told investigators that Lopez "tends to get angry sometimes" and that he was the primary caregiver at the time because she had to take a new job, according to the filing. 

Lopez was interviewed at Mills Police Department after the initial report, and investigators allege he admitted to "swatting, flicking and spanking" the infant and being "overwhelmed by [the baby's] crying and needs." 

Lopez also allegedly told investigators he wrote an apology letter to the baby after "accidentally striking [the baby's] head against a wall. 

Authorities also inspected Lopez’s home, where they found "an unclean environment, marijuana paraphernalia and holes in the walls and doors," according to the affidavit.

The baby's grandparents, priest and other family members who said they saw the baby on Oct. 25 and 26 uninjured, according to the filing. 

The mother allegedly told Mills police that "only Lopez could have caused the injuries" and informed investigators about the defendant's "temper, self-harm behaviors and history of violence toward himself and property.” 

As of Friday, Lopez's preliminary hearing date has not been set.

This story was published on Jan. 6, 2026.