SCRIBA, NY -- Edward G. Lewis told police investigators that he's physically punished his girlfriend's 2-year-old son in the past including smacking him in the face and spanking him with a leather belt and a homemade object he made to discipline his dog, according to court papers.

Lewis told police that a bruise on Jeremiah Jones' face could could have happened when Lewis smacked the boy "in the face too hard" about a week ago, according to a statement Lewis gave to police on Saturday.

Lewis, who is 5'10" and weighs 200 pounds, also told police that he's spanked Jeremiah in the past using his hand and a homemade item he made to hit his dog when she was bad.

Lewis said the homemade item was a rolled up newspaper that he wrapped in black electrical tape then red duct tape and again in black electrical tape. Lewis said he used the object last month to spank Jeremiah, but missed and accidentally hit Jeremiah in the back of the head.

"I have also hit Jeremiah in the past with my leather belt," Lewis told police. "...I realized that I shouldn't have done that because I noticed bright red welts on his ass, so I decided that I wouldn't use that anymore because I couldn't control my anger."

Edward G. Lewis

This weekend, Jeremiah Jones died of injuries state police say were caused by Lewis, 20, of 34 Hayfly Road, Scriba. He is accused of violently shaking Jeremiah and causing him to hit his head early Saturday morning. The boy suffered bleeding on his brain and died on Sunday. Jeremiah would have turned 3 on March 26.

Lewis gave police three statements on Saturday. Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard obtained the statements from Scriba Town Court this morning.

In the statements Lewis told police that he was taking care of Jeremiah from Monday through Friday. His girlfriend, the boy's mother Amanda Jones, was not with the boy on Saturday morning when Jeremiah was fatally injured.

Lewis told police that Jeremiah was sick for most of the past week. Police asked Lewis about bruises found on the boy's neck and Lewis said it was from wrestling with the boy earlier in the week.

"I play with Jeremiah all the time because we're together all the time," Lewis said. "I do this thing with him where I pretend to pick him up by his head like they do in wrestling."

Lewis said he thinks he may have hurt Jeremiah earlier this week when he picked him up by his head.

"I think I got a little too low and had my hands lower on his head pretty much under his jaw," Lewis said. "I started to pick him up with my hands like that under his jaw and he reached up and grabbed my wrists and his face froze...I probably picked him up a little two high and didn't realize that he was off the ground."

Lewis said he noticed the bruises on Jeremiah neck a couple days later.

Lewis told police that he was also frustrated with Jeremiah because Lewis was trying to potty train the boy. When the boy woke up Feb. 3 with soiled underwear, Lewis said he was frustrated.

"I was a little too pissed off about this, and I gave him a spank because I figured that he pooped his pants on purpose," Lewis said. "I held him up by one arm with my left hand, and I gave him a spank with my right hand on his bare ass. I spanked him a little harder than I normally do because I was pissed off at him for this and my anger took over."

Lewis said when he let go of Jeremiah's arm the boy feel backwards and hit the back of his head on the bathroom floor.

"His head fell back on the floor and the back of his head bounced where it hit off the floor a second time like a ball that bounces," Lewis said. "I told him to get up and he was crying. It took a little while for him to get up because it seemed like he was hurting, at least I know his ass was hurting. My pinky finger seemed to swell after I spanked him this time."

Lewis said the next morning, Jeremiah was sick with diarrhea and vomiting. The boy was sick Friday night when Lewis said the boy "felt warm and was pale, white as a ghost."

On Saturday morning, Lewis said Jeremiah picked up an empty bottle filled with the Lewis' chewing tobacco spit. Lewis told investigators that he thought the toddler was going to drink his spit.

"I pretty much lost my temper when I saw this," Lewis said. "I grabbed him and picked him up by his arms. I had my hands around his upper arm muscles and I picked him up off the floor and I shook him."

Lewis said he shook the boy in a twisting fashion and back and forth.

"I don't even know how many times I did it," he said. "Then I realized what I was doing to him. I was upset, frustrated and I lost my temper."

Lewis admitted in his third statement to police that after he shook Jeremiah that he threw him on the floor and Jeremiah hit his head on the floor.

"I was scared so I didn't tell the police," Lewis said. "I tried to help him immediately when his eyes closed and he wouldn't respond."

Lewis woke up his teenaged sister and they called 911 and began CPR.

Rescue crews took Jeremiah to Oswego Hospital, then Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Lewis told police that he recently asked Amanda Jones to take Jeremiah because Lewis did not want to watch him anymore.

"This whole situation has been frustrating for me with watching Jeremiah all by myself," Lewis said. "I never meant for anything bad to happen to Jeremiah. I just have too much stress and I lost it meaning I lost my temper. I tried not to take it out on him, but it happened and I feel bad."

Lewis remains at the Oswego County jail on $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond. Lewis is scheduled to return to Scriba Town Court at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego

County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315