A Minnesota father has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison after authorities say he inflicted 60 combined fractures on his 3-month-old twin sons, injuries so severe that one child may lose the ability to see. Dylan Raymond Strain, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree assault with great bodily harm in Ramsey County District Court.
Background
The investigation began in January 2025 when the twin boys were brought to a hospital showing signs of extensive abuse. According to a probable cause affidavit, one infant was experiencing seizures and dangerously low oxygen saturation levels. Medical personnel discovered bleeding on the brain, bruises covering his body, and rib fractures at various stages of healing. The child sustained 46 fractures total, injuries that authorities said caused significant risk of death.
The second twin also bore signs of abuse, including a healing laceration under his tongue, rib and clavicle fractures, and hemorrhaging under both eyes that doctors warned could result in vision loss. This boy suffered 14 fractures. Both infants' injuries were determined to be consistent with non-accidental trauma—injuries that could not have occurred through normal handling or play.
The family resided in the 800 block of Woodbridge Street in St. Paul, Minnesota, along with the children's mother, grandmother, and two other siblings. Detectives learned that whenever the twins sustained injuries, Strain was either watching or caring for them, according to court documents.
The Investigation
During interviews with police, Strain admitted he was the likely cause of his sons' catastrophic injuries. In his own words, he acknowledged struggling when the babies would cry, saying he was "a bit lackluster" with his patience and that "baby crying gets me so worked up." He confessed to squeezing the infants too tightly and admitted to striking a wall out of frustration.
The grandmother became concerned after hearing what she described as hysterical crying coming from the twins' room. When she investigated, she found one baby with a cut on his lip. Days later, she observed Strain screaming at both boys and noticed a hole punched in the wall of their bedroom. Around the time the babies were hospitalized, she saw him holding a baby wipe to one child's bleeding lip while bloody wipes piled on the floor.
"My grandbabies are in the hospital because some man don't know how to control himself," the grandmother told investigators. "That man is Dylan Strain."
Text messages between Strain and the children's mother revealed his admitted struggles with caregiving. The mother also described witnessing concerning behavior, explaining that Strain would hold the babies on his lap, yell at them, and bounce them so violently that their limbs would flail uncontrollably.
Key Takeaways
- Dylan Raymond Strain, 20, received a sentence of just under 16 years for abusing his twin sons in St. Paul, Minnesota
- The 3-month-old twins sustained 60 combined fractures—one child had 46 fractures; the other had 14
- One infant suffered hemorrhaging behind the eyes that may cause permanent vision loss
- Strain admitted to police he was "a bit lackluster" with his patience when babies cried and acknowledged being the likely cause of their injuries
- The children's grandmother told investigators she heard hysterical crying from the twins' room before discovering abuse
What's Next
Strain is currently held at Ramsey County Jail, where he has remained since his arrest. He will serve his sentence through the Minnesota Department of Corrections following formal sentencing. Both children continue to recover from their injuries, with medical professionals monitoring the infant who may face permanent vision impairment.