BUTLER TWP — Both the prosecution and defense believe there is more to the story behind a toddler’s hospital visit in September. One side sees traumatic abuse, while the other claims a man saved the child’s life.

On Thursday, District Judge Kevin O’Donnell moved forward all charges against Devin D. Revel, 34, of Butler, which include felony aggravated assault and child endangerment as well as a misdemeanor simple assault.

Revel remains in Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail. Revel was joined in court by his attorney, Anthony DeLuca, who made no arguments against the charges, but commented after the hearing that neither he nor his client are disputing there were injuries.

“The issue is what happened to cause the injuries,” DeLuca said. “As the case moves forward, we’ll be able attempting to establish the injuries occurred while Mr. Revel was saving the child’s life.”

Faith Hustak, the mother of the 18-month old, said she and Revel had been dating for about two months, before she left for an overnight shift Sept. 5 and returned Sept. 6 to find her child badly injured.

“Devin was sitting on the couch crying,” Hustak said. “I was told at that time, he fell off a chair.”

Assistant District Attorney J.P. Kulzer called two witnesses Thursday: Hustak and Dr. Jennifer Clark, a child abuse specialist at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Clark said the boy was taken to the emergency room Sept. 6. She was asked to examine him Sept. 7. According to Clark, she was told the boy pulled a chair to the railing of a third-story balcony and then fell back to the floor of the balcony.

Hustak said at the time that she, Revel and the boy were all living in a Butler apartment, three stories up with a balcony. She said two chairs usually sit on the balcony, which she always keeps locked while at home.

“It would be a three-story fall to cement, correct?” DeLuca asked.

“Yes,” Hustak replied.

According to Clark, not all of the boy’s injuries could be attributed to a fall from the chair, or even being pulled by the hair and face off the chair, as alluded to by DeLuca during cross-examination.

“His (injuries) were on multiple parts of his head, which we don’t get from that history,” Clark said. “I think there’s still too many planes (of impact) involved.”

Clark said it would take a minimum of three or four points of impact to cause all the injuries she saw, which include extensive bruising and swelling.

She said there were also injuries unrelated to direct force, including an injury under the scalp that caused blood to drip down and pool at some locations on the boy’s head.

“(I came to my conclusion) based on the extent of the injuries to his head and face,” Clark said.

Hustak said Revel had been watching the boy regularly while she worked without previous issues. She agreed with DeLuca’s description of the child as "rambunctious,“ and that the boy was prone to small marks, scrapes and bruises.

However, Clark said based on the look and color of the bruises, the boy suffered the injuries within a few days of being admitted to the hospital.

“These were not old injuries,” she said. “There were so many. There were too many to count.”

Both the prosecution and defense called into question whether Revel had been drinking alcohol that day, and asked Hustak whether she thought he was intoxicated.

Hustak said when she left Revel wasn’t drunk, but he was drinking some type of “dark-colored liquor.” She said when she returned home, Revel didn’t appear drunk either.

“I saw an empty liquor bottle on the counter,” Hustak said.

DeLuca also asked Hustak about Revel’s relationship with the boy before the incident. She said they had a good relationship. According to Hustak, the boy has had a Zoom call with Revel, who was in jail, since the incident.

Near the end of Hustak’s testimony, Revel leaned in and whispered to DeLuca, who then asked how the boy has been feeling lately.

“He’s doing good,” Hustak said.

Revel appeared relieved at her response.

Revel is scheduled for formal arraignment March 15 in Butler County Common Pleas Court.