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LINDALE, Texas (KETK) — A Lindale man was arrested on Monday evening after officer obtained a video of him “slamming” his eight-month-old infant on her side and back, an affidavit revealed.

According to a Smith County arrest affidavit, on Monday, deputies responded to a home on County Road 4145 in Lindale due to a call claiming a child was being abused by the father, Tyler Kovalick. The caller also said Kovalick was aware there was a video of the incident.

The affidavit explained that deputies spoke with Kovalick, who said that he got off work around 3 p.m. and picked up his children from the babysitter.

“He said he got home and made his son food and put the baby, an eight-month-old infant, down for a nap,” the document said. “He said [the infant] woke up around 6 p.m. and seemed to be fine. He told me he picked her up with his left arm and took her to the front room to check her diaper. He said he then checked her diaper and lifted her halfway off the couch.”

The deputy then asked Kovalick if there was any video to support his story and he told them “he did not know.”

Footage was obtained of the incident that happened, around 5:32 p.m., on Monday, where one video reportedly shows Kovalick going into the room where the infant is, leaning over into the crib, and “roughly place” her on her left side.

A second video shows the baby on a gray sofa, lying on her back for what appeared to be a diaper change. “The video then shows Kovalick yank [the victims] clothing upwards,” the affidavit said. “While doing so, [the victim] was shown to be hanging upside down, arms flailing down and with the ‘up-down’ of Kovalick’s yanking.”

After reviewing the video, deputies saw that the infant’s left cheek was “notably more swollen” than her right cheek and had light redness at the time.

Kovalick was then arrested around 8:37 p.m. for injury to a child and transferred to the Smith County Jail.

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