VENTURA : Man Who Blinded Son Is Freed Again

A Ventura man convicted of child abuse for blinding his infant son was again released on probation Friday, with a stern warning to stay away from young children.

Don Ray Boyd, 22, admitted shaking his baby son so hard last year that the retinas of the child’s eyes detached from the optic nerve, causing permanent blindness. Boyd completed a one-year jail term last week.

On Tuesday, he was back in jail after his probation officer, Joseph Hickerson, told Superior Court Judge Allen L. Steele that Boyd had violated his probation by failing to tell Hickerson where he was living.

In addition, Hickerson said, Boyd had appeared at the probation office with his girlfriend and her 2-year-old daughter, possibly violating a probation requirement that he not associate with children except in the presence of a responsible adult.

On Friday, Steele agreed to release Boyd on probation again, on the condition that he have no contact with any child under age 6 under any circumstances. The judge acted after Boyd’s mother said she would provide him with a place to stay.

Hickerson said he was satisfied with the arrangement, but told Steele: “A lot of people have put a lot of effort into getting help for him. It’s time for Mr. Boyd to work as hard as everyone else has.”

According to court records, Boyd has an IQ of 67, which places him in the category of developmentally disabled. Through the efforts of Deputy Public Defender Joseph P. VillaSana, he has been accepted into a county-run program for offenders with mental problems.

Speaking slowly in simple language, Steele asked Boyd if he understood what was expected of him.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Boyd replied.

Steele commended Hickerson for quickly reporting the probation violations.

“The people in this community want some assurance that when this happens, the people running the system are watching it very carefully.

“People don’t get away with anything,” the judge said. “The first time they stray, they will be back in court and, not infrequently, back in jail.”

Boyd’s son, now 15 months old, is living in a foster home and is undergoing physical therapy.