Phoenix Man Permitted to See Boy He Allegedly Endangered

Phoenix AZ

03 December, 2021

1:56 AM

Description

A Phoenix man has been permitted by the court to stay in contact with his family after allegedly endangering the safety of a child under his supervision on April 13th, 2018. Brian Knight, 26, violated the terms of his probation after being arrested for placing the child in a scalding hot water bath, but has now been allowed to live with the victim and his mother given he complies with the terms of his probation, according to his disposition hearing today.Knight was babysitting the three-year-old son of his partner Gisele Santiago when he claims to have accidentally placed the victim in the hot water of a bath without checking the temperature. The child, whose father passed away, was immediately taken to a hospital where he was treated for severe burns on his legs and buttocks. The victim has now "completely healed," said Brian at the hearing today, with minimal discoloration of the skin.According to court documents, Knight was then placed in the county jail and was given a ten-year probation with terms to avoid contact with the victim or his family. He was also assigned a domestic violence course.Brian Knight admitted to violating his probation by continuing his relationship with the victim's mother, Giselle Santiago, while living with both her and the victim. Pictures of the baby shower of his youngest child with Giselle indicate that Brian Knight played an active role in the event.Knight had also sent aggressive text messages, voice memos and phone calls to his ex-girlfriend Brianna Campbell, whom he shares a son with, threatening to "start a war" if he did not obtain custody of their child, court documents state.Knight had suffered a traumatic injury to his left arm after an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) accident, according to court documents, that required him to undergo multiple surgeries and take medication. This, said Knight in today's hearing, caused mental turmoil to him resulting in his aggressive conversations with Brianna, who refused to let him see their son.Knight also stated in a letter to the court that he had no "malicious intent" behind the accident towards the victim and hopes to be able to stay in contact with Giselle and their children. Being raised in a poverty-stricken and unsafe environment, Knight wrote that he was often exposed to "tough love" where he was beaten and physically abused by his mother's partners. This seemed "surreal" to him, being the "perpetual abuser" of a child who is not biologically his.The victim was like his own son, wrote Knight in the letter, as he "taught him how to count, say his ABC's, add and subtract," before the age of four. Taking care of the victim was "an excellent way to cope" with not being able to see his biological son, who was refused custody by Brianna, the mother."My true pursuit of happiness is being a father and having the happy family I unfortunately wasn't raised with," wrote Knight.The family of the victim are okay with contact between Knight and the victim and approve their relationship, according to the letters sent by the family members to the court. The mother of the victim and her family also support their relationship."He's been a great role model and father figure for my grandson and needs a father figure in his life who will step up to the plate," said the grandmother of the victim in her letter to the court.After analysing the documents provided, Judge Roger Hartsell reinstated his ten-year probation in the hearing today but granted him the right to live with his family given that he complies with the conditions. Such conditions include continuing his domestic abuse class, paying restitution to the victim, avoiding mind-altering substances, and not bathing either of his children unsupervised for at least a year.Prosecutors asked Hartsell to reconsider in the hearing as they questioned why the court was "rewarding" Knight for violating his probation by removing the no-contact requirement.Hartsell "resented" such a comment and assured that he has carefully acknowledged all the documents that have been provided. He also said since the mother of the victim and all other parties involved have no objection to the relationship between Knight and the victim, he feels he made the correct decision."Let's not make such mistakes again, okay? This is part of parenting, this is part of growing up, this is part of not being 17, that you recognize the concerns and issues other people have," said Hartsell to Knight at the hearing.