Man accused of abusing 3-year-old turns self in

Update: Monserate Perez turned himself into police Thursday night.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- Police are searching for a man they say assaulted his girlfriend, then her three-year-old daughter.

It happened in West Haven Wednesday night.

As Tywaan Reeves pushes his one and a half year-old nephew on the swing, he treasures the moment. Then, his mood changed as News 8 told him about his neighbor, 52-year-old Monserate Perez, who police are trying to track down.

"That's immoral," Reeves said.

He's talking about what Perez is accused of doing. Police say he hurt his girlfriend's three year-old daughter so badly that she's now in a cast from the hip down.

"To touch a kid or abuse a child or an elderly person, you don't that," said Reeves.

West Haven firefighters were called to the Glade Street apartment building around 8 p.m. Wednesday to take a child to the hospital for a leg injury.

"It's not that common where a child gets injured and the mother lies as to how the child got injured, or a parent lies," said Sgt. David Tammaro, West Haven Police.

Police got involved after doctors examined the three-year-old girl and realized the injuries couldn't have happened from simply falling.

"The mother said in a domestic dispute, the mother's boyfriend assaulted the child," Sgt. Tammaro said.

News 8 asked several neighbors if they recognize Perez.

"This lady has two kids. One boy and one little girl. My son is friend's with the boy," said one man.

"Did your son ever go over there to play," asked News 8's Erin Logan.

"No," the man replied.

Perez faces several felony charges.