A 250-pound man accused of punching, shaking and slamming his 7-month-old infant daughter into the side of a van was indicted yesterday by an O'ahu grand jury on a charge of attempted murder.

Pulumataala Soga Eli, 32, who has no permanent local address, is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

The child remains hospitalized and is suffering from "massive" brain injury, internal bleeding and a fractured skull, according to statements made in court yesterday.

Eli surrendered to police Saturday at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where the infant is being treated.

According to an affidavit filed at District Court, the child's 16-year-old mother told police she and Eli were arguing in a parked van at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Ala Moana Beach Park and that he blamed the infant for the argument.

Eli allegedly struck the child twice on her forehead with an open hand, grabbed the child from her car seat by the left arm and threw her to the back of the van, the mother told police, according to the affidavit.

He then picked the child up and threw her several more times before grabbing the car seat and throwing it at the infant.

It was at that point the child stopped breathing, according to the affidavit.

The couple took the child to Kapi'olani hospital's emergency room, where Eli allegedly told his girlfriend to say the child fell out of his hands, and left.

Police were called by the hospital because of the child's suspicious injuries, which included old fractures of the left ribs and a fractured knee.

Eli has been arrested 22 times and has 12 prior criminal convictions, including assault and firearm offenses. He is scheduled to go to trial Dec. 3 on a charge of second-degree assault.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.