DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A man accused of badly injuring his newborn twins will not have his bond lowered.

Tristan Strupe appeared in Davidson County court on Wednesday handcuffed, wearing an orange jumpsuit. His defense asked to have his bond reduced from $65,000 to $10,000, arguing that Strupe had no criminal record prior to his arrest and that because the twins were injured in the hospital, people were around the babies other than Strupe. The defense also claims Strupe is the one who reported the injuries.

The prosecution went into detail about the babies’ injuries: tearing of the ear, a fractured cranium and a broken humerus, and expressed concern for the children’s safety.

Strupe is accused of injuring the twin babies on Dec. 24, 2022, when they were less than 48 hours old, and was charged with two counts of felony child abuse.

“I live next to a monster now,” a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said when they heard the news.

In January, Thomasville Police Department confirmed that the babies had been released from the hospital into foster care.

Strupe’s case was continued until April 3.