Dubuque Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Injuring Infant Daughter

A Dubuque man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for seriously injuring his infant daughter. 20 year old Luke Heim was sentenced in Iowa District Court of Dubuque County after pleading guilty to child endangerment causing serious injury, a felony. The 10-year sentence was recommended in Heim’s plea agreement, and no arguments were made by either the prosecution or the defense regarding the sentence. Heim’s then-2-month-old daughter’s injuries included a fractured femur, bleeding in the brain, blood spots in both eyes and bruising to the neck and chest. The girl’s mother, 20 year old Gabrielle Fondell, of Dubuque, told police that she dropped off the infant and her then-1-year-old sister at Heim’s residence on November 20, 2020, to spend the night. When Heim picked up Fondell the next day with the girls, Fondell saw that the infant was having difficulty breathing and her eyes were red. Fondell had Heim drive to MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center, where doctors treated the child and staff called the police. The infant was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for further treatment. Investigators reported that Heim told them that he was upset with Fondell while watching the girls.