Baby boy has brain surgery for injury.

Byline: Winston Ross The Register-Guard

NORTH BEND - A 4-month-old infant was in stable condition Friday after Portland doctors performed emergency brain surgery on him, while his mother's live-in boyfriend was in jail, facing assault charges.

Gavin M. Perkins, born Jan. 9, was brought to the emergency room at Bay Area Hospital late Monday night, where doctors determined he'd suffered a brain injury. He was then flown in critical condition to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where he was diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome, brain damage caused when a baby is shaken, slammed or thrown against an object.

The Coos Bay hospital notified police that Gavin may have been abused, which led to the arrest of Solomon L. Streit, 20, said Paul Frasier, Coos County chief deputy district attorney. Streit is not the boy's biological father but lives with Gavin's mother, Shelly Perkins-Brown.

Frasier declined to elaborate on why Streit was arrested at noon Friday and is being charged with second-degree assault and first-degree criminal mistreatment, used to describe causing physical injury to a child in one's custody. He did say there's no evidence to suggest the mother was involved.

Nevertheless, the boy remained in state custody on Friday, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation into what happened. Perkins-Brown could not be reached for comment.

Streit is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. Neither he nor Perkins-Brown has a criminal history in Oregon. Anyone with information about the alleged incident should contact the North Bend Police Department at [phone].