Baby hospitalized after punch from mentally ill man

A man with a history of mental illness reportedly punched a baby in Bellingham so hard the 4-month-old had to be taken to the hospital.

The Bellingham Herald reports the 28-year-old man ran into a restaurant straight for the baby that was cradled in its mother’s arms.

The man then allegedly hit the baby in the head and kept running.

The baby’s father and a couple of witnesses chased the man down and held him until police arrived.

The child suffered head injuries and was treated at a local hospital, then released.

The man is under investigation for assault.