A woman and her boyfriend pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of the woman's 3-year-old daughter, who was found in a trash bag.
Miriam Gallegos and Angel Ray Montoya entered their pleas Friday.
Prosecutors say Montoya killed the child while Gallegos was at work then the couple conspired to cover the crime by disposing of the body in a ravine in September 2007.
The couple told authorities the girl was missing.
Authorities say the child died of asphyxiation.
Montoya faces charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, while Gallegos faces charges of accessory to a crime and child abuse resulting in death.
Showing posts with label Child Abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child Abuse. Show all posts
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Marcus Cobbs Charged with Starving Toddler to Death
A former member of a religious cult backed out of a plea deal Friday and will face trial on charges that he and others starved a toddler to death because the boy refused to say "Amen" after meals.
Marcus A. Cobbs, 22, had agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact. But his attorney abruptly withdrew the plea after a dispute with prosecutors over the conditions of his release.
Cobbs will now face trial in January along with three other members of the now-defunct cult known as 1 Mind Ministries. All four face charges of murder and child abuse in the January 2007 death of 1-year-old Javon Thompson and could face life in prison if convicted.
Had Cobbs pleaded guilty, he would not have admitted any role in starving the child. But he did help the cult members cover up Javon's death, according to a statement of facts read in court to support his guilty plea.
He burned a mattress where the boy's body had lain for several days while the cult members prayed for his resurrection, according to the statement. He also measured Javon's body, washed it, wrapped it in a blanket and placed it inside a suitcase that he bought, the statement said.
The cult members drove to Philadelphia with the suitcase containing Javon's body, where they hid it in a shed behind a home, according to the statement and other court documents. The suitcase remained there for more than a year before police found it.
Javon's mother, Ria Ramkissoon, was part of the cult and pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. She is expected to testify against the other members and remains jailed. At the time of her plea in March, she held out hope that Javon would be resurrected, and in an extraordinary arrangement, prosecutors agreed to withdraw her plea if that occurs.
Maureen Rowland, Cobbs' public defender, told the Associated Press she thought her client would receive a five-year suspended sentence and be released from jail immediately after pleading guilty.
"He was only taking it because he wanted to get out of jail," Rowland said. "If he was sitting in jail, it wouldn't be a good deal."
But prosecutors said they never agreed to his immediate release. Their tentative plan was for Cobbs to live with a relative out of state until after the trial of the other three cult members, said Joseph Sviatko, a spokesman for the state's attorney's office.
Attorneys did not bring up their disagreement about the conditions of Cobbs' release until after Baltimore Circuit Judge John Philip Miller accepted the guilty plea.
Clearly exasperated, Miller called the attorneys to the bench for a heated conference, after which Rowland announced that she was withdrawing the plea. Miller agreed to throw it out.
"You didn't have an agreement, it appears," the judge said.
Marcus A. Cobbs, 22, had agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of accessory after the fact. But his attorney abruptly withdrew the plea after a dispute with prosecutors over the conditions of his release.
Cobbs will now face trial in January along with three other members of the now-defunct cult known as 1 Mind Ministries. All four face charges of murder and child abuse in the January 2007 death of 1-year-old Javon Thompson and could face life in prison if convicted.
Had Cobbs pleaded guilty, he would not have admitted any role in starving the child. But he did help the cult members cover up Javon's death, according to a statement of facts read in court to support his guilty plea.
He burned a mattress where the boy's body had lain for several days while the cult members prayed for his resurrection, according to the statement. He also measured Javon's body, washed it, wrapped it in a blanket and placed it inside a suitcase that he bought, the statement said.
The cult members drove to Philadelphia with the suitcase containing Javon's body, where they hid it in a shed behind a home, according to the statement and other court documents. The suitcase remained there for more than a year before police found it.
Javon's mother, Ria Ramkissoon, was part of the cult and pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. She is expected to testify against the other members and remains jailed. At the time of her plea in March, she held out hope that Javon would be resurrected, and in an extraordinary arrangement, prosecutors agreed to withdraw her plea if that occurs.
Maureen Rowland, Cobbs' public defender, told the Associated Press she thought her client would receive a five-year suspended sentence and be released from jail immediately after pleading guilty.
"He was only taking it because he wanted to get out of jail," Rowland said. "If he was sitting in jail, it wouldn't be a good deal."
But prosecutors said they never agreed to his immediate release. Their tentative plan was for Cobbs to live with a relative out of state until after the trial of the other three cult members, said Joseph Sviatko, a spokesman for the state's attorney's office.
Attorneys did not bring up their disagreement about the conditions of Cobbs' release until after Baltimore Circuit Judge John Philip Miller accepted the guilty plea.
Clearly exasperated, Miller called the attorneys to the bench for a heated conference, after which Rowland announced that she was withdrawing the plea. Miller agreed to throw it out.
"You didn't have an agreement, it appears," the judge said.
Leon Surgeon Charged with Child Abuse
Along Clover Meadows Drive you find many families, many children. Babies (with supervision) to teenagers make the rounds Friday night, a number of them passing a home where a three-year-old was Wednesday when police say something happened to her, something criminal.
“It gave me a gut feeling, like I was sick to my stomach,” says Trudy Murray in front of her townhome. She was one of the people who saw police and paramedics pile on to her street then into a house across the street from hers.
“After awhile, they brought this, this body out,” Murray recalls, “She was kind of limpy-looking, and I thought, ‘Oh, my God.’”
“She had a face mask on, like she was trying to be resuscitated from whatever, you know, the situation was,” adds another neighbor.
The situation, as Chesapeake officers tell it, is this: Leon Surgeon was taking care of the three-year-old while her mom was at work. Paramedics wound up taking her to the hospital for what looked like severe head trauma. The extent of her injuries was so bad, she was transferred from Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters where she was in critical condition late Friday.
Surgeon, who has a (different) child with the three-year-old’s mother, now faces two charges, including felony child abuse.
“It does happen. I see it. I read it,” Murray notes. “It’s just sad, sad what happens to all these children. They’re being abused, and nobody cares.”
“I don’t know what a three-year-old child could do so bad to make someone actually try to hurt them like that,” a neighbor says. “Evidently, this gentleman has a problem with children or with hisself, or life in general.”
13News went to the home out of which neighbors watched emergency workers bring the three-year-old. Someone who answered the door said she knows Surgeon, but wouldn’t say what her connection to him is, and she denied knowing his relationship to the mother of the three-year-old. She went on to say she believed Surgeon was “somewhere else” when the girl was in trouble Wednesday. Pressed for more information, she closed the door and said, “I’m not talking to you.”
“Go after him. Get him,” Murray says. “If anybody does that to a small child, they belong not even on the street, not even any place near children.”
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http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/chesapeake-police-charge-man-felony-child-abuse
“It gave me a gut feeling, like I was sick to my stomach,” says Trudy Murray in front of her townhome. She was one of the people who saw police and paramedics pile on to her street then into a house across the street from hers.
“After awhile, they brought this, this body out,” Murray recalls, “She was kind of limpy-looking, and I thought, ‘Oh, my God.’”
“She had a face mask on, like she was trying to be resuscitated from whatever, you know, the situation was,” adds another neighbor.
The situation, as Chesapeake officers tell it, is this: Leon Surgeon was taking care of the three-year-old while her mom was at work. Paramedics wound up taking her to the hospital for what looked like severe head trauma. The extent of her injuries was so bad, she was transferred from Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters where she was in critical condition late Friday.
Surgeon, who has a (different) child with the three-year-old’s mother, now faces two charges, including felony child abuse.
“It does happen. I see it. I read it,” Murray notes. “It’s just sad, sad what happens to all these children. They’re being abused, and nobody cares.”
“I don’t know what a three-year-old child could do so bad to make someone actually try to hurt them like that,” a neighbor says. “Evidently, this gentleman has a problem with children or with hisself, or life in general.”
13News went to the home out of which neighbors watched emergency workers bring the three-year-old. Someone who answered the door said she knows Surgeon, but wouldn’t say what her connection to him is, and she denied knowing his relationship to the mother of the three-year-old. She went on to say she believed Surgeon was “somewhere else” when the girl was in trouble Wednesday. Pressed for more information, she closed the door and said, “I’m not talking to you.”
“Go after him. Get him,” Murray says. “If anybody does that to a small child, they belong not even on the street, not even any place near children.”
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http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/chesapeake-police-charge-man-felony-child-abuse
Samantha Abernathy Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse
A 21-year-old woman who was wanted for missing her sentencing hearing on a felony child abuse charge is back behind bars.
Officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested Abernathy in Mesa about 10:40 a.m. Thursday, and she was being held Friday in the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail, according to jail records.
Samantha Abernathy, who left her two sons, ages 1 and 3, home alone about 2 a.m. June 14, pleaded guilty to one count of felony child abuse on Sept. 11 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Abernathy was free on bail, and when she did not show up for her sentencing on Oct. 23, a warrant was issued for her arrest. Abernathy had not been checking in with the court and was not cooperating with Pre-Trial Services, the agency that keeps tabs on people who are free on bail, according to court records.
Abernathy was being held on $5,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear for a hearing on Nov. 5, according to jail records.
Under terms of the plea deal, Abernathy will be on probation for 16 years and spend up to a year in a county jail if the court chooses probation. The court also could send her to state prison for up to 18 months, according to state sentencing laws.
Neighbors called police about 7 a.m. to report that the children were wandering around the apartment complex at University Drive and Gilbert Road in Mesa.
When police arrived at the apartment, they discovered it in filthy conditions and the boys hungry. One of the children reached for dog food as police were investigating, according to police.
Officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested Abernathy in Mesa about 10:40 a.m. Thursday, and she was being held Friday in the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail, according to jail records.
Samantha Abernathy, who left her two sons, ages 1 and 3, home alone about 2 a.m. June 14, pleaded guilty to one count of felony child abuse on Sept. 11 in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Abernathy was free on bail, and when she did not show up for her sentencing on Oct. 23, a warrant was issued for her arrest. Abernathy had not been checking in with the court and was not cooperating with Pre-Trial Services, the agency that keeps tabs on people who are free on bail, according to court records.
Abernathy was being held on $5,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear for a hearing on Nov. 5, according to jail records.
Under terms of the plea deal, Abernathy will be on probation for 16 years and spend up to a year in a county jail if the court chooses probation. The court also could send her to state prison for up to 18 months, according to state sentencing laws.
Neighbors called police about 7 a.m. to report that the children were wandering around the apartment complex at University Drive and Gilbert Road in Mesa.
When police arrived at the apartment, they discovered it in filthy conditions and the boys hungry. One of the children reached for dog food as police were investigating, according to police.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Polygamist Raymond Jessop Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Teen
A 38-year-old man from a polygamist sect sexually assaulted a teenager less than half his age at the Yearning For Zion Ranch, a prosecutor charged Wednesday to open the first criminal trial since the ranch was raided.
An attorney for defendant Raymond Jessop disputed the allegation, telling jurors there is no evidence Jessop sexually assaulted the girl in Schleicher County. The location is critical, since prosecutors must prove they have the jurisdiction to prosecute the alleged crimes.
Jessop was one of 12 members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints charged after authorities raided the ranch last year and swept 439 children into foster care. The children were later returned to their parents after an appellate court intervened, but documents and DNA seized during the raid resulted in criminal indictments on charges ranging from failure to report child abuse to sexual assault and bigamy.
All the men will be tried separately.
Both sides presented opening statements Wednesday evening in Jessop's case after 12 jurors — seven men and five women — were culled from a pool of 300, the largest ever called in this tiny county 200 miles northwest of San Antonio.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Nichols said Jessop was 33 when he had sex a 16-year-old girl, who later gave birth to a daughter. Under Texas law, generally, no one under 17 can consent to sex with adult. Nichols did not discuss the relationship between the two in his opening statement, but prosecutors have said in court documents the teen is one of Jessop's nine wives. Jessop has also been indicted on a bigamy charge that will be tried later.
"You will see evidence that establishes that this offense — the offense of sexual assault of (the teen) — occurred just down the road from this courthouse at the YFZ Ranch," Nichols told jurors.
Defense attorney Mark Stevens said prosecutors would not be able to show evidence of a crime occurring in Texas, and he urged jurors not to be distracted by the alleged polygamy or the religious beliefs Jessop and the church. Broadcast images of women from the church wearing prairie dresses and distinctive braids were impossible to ignore during the weeklong raid in April 2008.
"We don't try people because of their hairstyles or their clothes. We don't try people because of their religious practices," Stevens said. "We try people based on evidence, facts and proof."
Testimony in the case is scheduled to begin Thursday. Nichols had previously said the trial would take about two weeks. Prosecutors have prepared to call dozens of witnesses, including law enforcement officials, child welfare workers and church members.
The FLDS is a breakaway sect that is not recognized by the Mormon church. It has historically been based along the Arizona-Utah border, but church members bought a 1,700-acre ranch outside Eldorado about six years ago and began building log cabin-style homes and a four-story limestone temple that is visible from the highway that run's through the town of about 2,000 people.
Sect Leader Warren Jeffs was arrested in 2006 and convicted as an accomplice to rape in Utah for arranging an underage marriage there. He awaits trial on similar charges in Arizona before he can be tried for sexual assault of a child and bigamy in Texas.
Fearing possible prosecution for underage marriages, Jeffs allegedly advised Jessop not to take the 16 year old to the hospital even though she was struggling for days in child labor. One of Jeffs' daughters allegedly married Jessop at age 15 and is the focus of the separate bigamy indictment.
The Mormon church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, renounced polygamy more than a century ago.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Katrina Darasouk Arrested for Child Abuse
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged the mother of a 2-year-old -- who ended up with bleeding on his brain because of alleged abuse at her boyfriend's hands -- for putting him in a position that endangered his life.
After spending a night in jail, Katrina Darasouk headed into the courtroom with shackles at her ankles.
A judge set her percentage bond at $50,000 after she said quietly she understood the child abuse charge she faced and that it carried up to 20 years in prison if she's convicted.
Police say Darasouk woke up Sept. 20 to her boyfriend, Joshua Ironshell, yelling at her son and found them in the bathroom.
Darrek Andrew was unresponsive and appeared to be having a seizure.
But, police allege, Darasouk agreed with Ironshell not to take him to the hospital because he feared bruises on the boy would lead to a child abuse investigation.
Two days later, her son had another seizure while in Ironshell's care.
This time, Darasouk drove Darrek to the hospital. She told police later she thought her son was going to die.
He was unresponsive, his breathing labored, when she got him to the emergency room at BryanLGH Medical Center West.
He was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Omaha, where he was diagnosed with bleeding on the brain and in the blood vessels at the back of the eye, spinal fractures and multiple bruises. He had old scarring on his buttocks.
Police say doctors treated Darrek, and he since has been released from the hospital. He was placed in foster care while police and Health and Human Services investigate, and he continues to suffer from lingering vision and balance issues.
According to court documents, Darasouk told police Ironshell was the boy's primary care provider, and that she had no idea how he got the injuries.
Police now believe she'd seen Ironshell spanking her son at least once before and told him to stop.
Sometime in the week of Sept. 12-16, police believe, Ironshell, spanked him hard enough they both fell in the shower.
Police allege Ironshell had spanked the boy while holding him by one arm, then hit him on the buttocks, hip and lower back causing swelling. He walked stiff-legged after the fall, they say.
On Sept. 20, the boy had a seizure and briefly stopped breathing, according to the affidavit filed in Lancaster County Court.
A second seizure happened on Sept. 22, the court document said. In it, police allege Ironshell and Darasouk did not take him to the hospital right away because Ironshell didn't want to be investigated for child abuse.
The charge against Darasouk alleges she went along with it, despite it putting her son in a position that endangered his life.
At about 10 a.m. Tuesday, police lodged her.
A week ago, they arrested Ironshell, later charged with felony child abuse and first-degree assault.
Benjamin Koller Arrested for Causing the Death of his 4-month-old Son
Prosecutors are expected to file a murder charge Thursday morning against a 26-year-old Lafayette man suspected of causing the injuries that led to his 4-month-old son's death earlier this month.
Benjamin Koller was arrested in July on suspicion of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury shortly after his badly injured infant, Jack Sebastian Koller, was hospitalized. Because the baby died since his arrest, court records show charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death are expected to be filed during a scheduled hearing Thursday morning.
Jack Sebastian Koller died Oct. 12 while in hospice case. He was born May 27 and hospitalized July 21. The baby suffered bite marks to his left leg and both arms, bruises on his head, retinal bleeding, a skull fracture, a torn frenulum and a bruise behind his ear consistent with being grabbed by the ear, according to Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit. Doctors told investigators that fluid had to be drained from the baby’s brain.
Prosecutors delayed filing charges against Benjamin Koller because the baby was expected to die from his injuries.
According to Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit, Koller told investigators that he dropped the baby several times, would bite and shake him to get a reaction when he was unresponsive, and had held his hand over the baby’s mouth until he changed color to stifle his cries.
Jack Koller's condition unexpectedly improved after his hospitalization despite predictions that he would die and he was released Aug. 10 to his maternal grandparents. However, his condition again deteriorated and he was readmitted to the hospital, according to prosecutors.
Benjamin Koller is being held at the Boulder County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Benjamin Koller was arrested in July on suspicion of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury shortly after his badly injured infant, Jack Sebastian Koller, was hospitalized. Because the baby died since his arrest, court records show charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death are expected to be filed during a scheduled hearing Thursday morning.
Jack Sebastian Koller died Oct. 12 while in hospice case. He was born May 27 and hospitalized July 21. The baby suffered bite marks to his left leg and both arms, bruises on his head, retinal bleeding, a skull fracture, a torn frenulum and a bruise behind his ear consistent with being grabbed by the ear, according to Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit. Doctors told investigators that fluid had to be drained from the baby’s brain.
Prosecutors delayed filing charges against Benjamin Koller because the baby was expected to die from his injuries.
According to Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit, Koller told investigators that he dropped the baby several times, would bite and shake him to get a reaction when he was unresponsive, and had held his hand over the baby’s mouth until he changed color to stifle his cries.
Jack Koller's condition unexpectedly improved after his hospitalization despite predictions that he would die and he was released Aug. 10 to his maternal grandparents. However, his condition again deteriorated and he was readmitted to the hospital, according to prosecutors.
Benjamin Koller is being held at the Boulder County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Robert Larry Pepper Arrested for Child Abuse
A Kannapolis man has been charged with child abuse after EMS paramedics found a 12-year-old girl in a home with two drunken men.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Robert Larry Pepper, of 2685 China Grove Road, Kannapolis, with misdemeanor child abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Capt. John Sifford said EMS paramedics responded to the 2695 China Grove Road address to answer a call related to a fall around 1 a.m. Saturday.
Sifford said the paramedics found Tony Lavon Grimes, another resident of the single-wide mobile home, on the floor, apparently passed out.
EMS and deputies found Pepper drinking beer, unstable on his feet and the home "smelled horribly of beer," according to the report.
Pepper told paramedics he was plastered and needed an ambulance to go to the hospital.
Pepper’s 12-year-old daughter, who was also there, was described as upset and crying.
Deputies contacted the Rowan County Department of Social Services and stood by until a staffer arrived.
Sifford said the parents are divorced and the mother has custody during the week and the father has custody on the weekend.
Sifford said the child told officers that she slept in a recliner during weekend visits.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged Robert Larry Pepper, of 2685 China Grove Road, Kannapolis, with misdemeanor child abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Capt. John Sifford said EMS paramedics responded to the 2695 China Grove Road address to answer a call related to a fall around 1 a.m. Saturday.
Sifford said the paramedics found Tony Lavon Grimes, another resident of the single-wide mobile home, on the floor, apparently passed out.
EMS and deputies found Pepper drinking beer, unstable on his feet and the home "smelled horribly of beer," according to the report.
Pepper told paramedics he was plastered and needed an ambulance to go to the hospital.
Pepper’s 12-year-old daughter, who was also there, was described as upset and crying.
Deputies contacted the Rowan County Department of Social Services and stood by until a staffer arrived.
Sifford said the parents are divorced and the mother has custody during the week and the father has custody on the weekend.
Sifford said the child told officers that she slept in a recliner during weekend visits.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Trial Set for Lucy & Christopher Wilson Accused of Abusing their Baby
Jury trials have been set for the Terre Haute couple accused of abusing their baby.
Lucy Wilson, 19, is accused of neglecting her baby boy, while her husband Christopher Wilson allegedly broke the baby's bones.
The baby was already receiving medical care at home and hooked up to a feeding tube, since he was born prematurely.
According to court documents, Lucy Wilson admitted to police her husband beat the baby when the child would move his feeding tube. Both parents are facing felony charges of neglect of a dependent.
Christopher Wilson also faces a charge of battery. His trial date is set for Feb. 23.
Lucy Wilson is expected to head to trial March 16.
Lucy Wilson, 19, is accused of neglecting her baby boy, while her husband Christopher Wilson allegedly broke the baby's bones.
The baby was already receiving medical care at home and hooked up to a feeding tube, since he was born prematurely.
According to court documents, Lucy Wilson admitted to police her husband beat the baby when the child would move his feeding tube. Both parents are facing felony charges of neglect of a dependent.
Christopher Wilson also faces a charge of battery. His trial date is set for Feb. 23.
Lucy Wilson is expected to head to trial March 16.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Five People Arrested for Child Abuse
Police say an anonymous tip lead to the arrest of five people charged with abusing a 4-year-old boy who remains in critical condition at a hospital.
Authorities removed nine other children from the same Hattiesburg home.
The home, which neighbors describe as filthy with graffiti on the walls, was leased by 53-year-old Sue Miller and her 34-year-old daughter, Nancy Miller. They were charged Tuesday with felony child abuse along with Patricia Aguilar, 30; Francys Albertson, 20; and Christopher Lee, 37, all of Hattiesburg.
Police spokesman Synarus Green said the "child's body was covered with new and old bruises."
A medical exam showed he had cuts on his head and body, broken teeth and internal abdominal injuries.
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Pictures & More Information: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20091003/NEWS01/910030328/5-face-child-abuse-charges
Authorities removed nine other children from the same Hattiesburg home.
The home, which neighbors describe as filthy with graffiti on the walls, was leased by 53-year-old Sue Miller and her 34-year-old daughter, Nancy Miller. They were charged Tuesday with felony child abuse along with Patricia Aguilar, 30; Francys Albertson, 20; and Christopher Lee, 37, all of Hattiesburg.
Police spokesman Synarus Green said the "child's body was covered with new and old bruises."
A medical exam showed he had cuts on his head and body, broken teeth and internal abdominal injuries.
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Pictures & More Information: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20091003/NEWS01/910030328/5-face-child-abuse-charges
Thursday, October 1, 2009
One-Month-Old Dies After Being Beaten by Teenage Father
A 1-month-old infant, whom Brownsville police said was beaten to death by his teenage father, has died from severe head trauma.
According to the preliminary autopsy results, Marco Avila also had several fractures of the head, blood on the brain, two broken ribs, a broken left clavicle bone and numerous contusions throughout the face and on the body.
“This all indicates that this 1-month-old child was basically beaten to death at the hands of his father, Israel Avila,” said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique. “This was no accident. This was a deliberate violent beating of a 1-month-old baby.”
Avila, 17, was arrested Monday afternoon and later charged with capital murder because the child was under 6 years old. On Tuesday morning Municipal Judge Rene De Coss set Avila’s bond at $1million and sent him to Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center.
On Monday morning, Avila and his common-law wife took the baby to Valley Regional Medical Center-Brownsville, where physicians examining the baby found signs of abuse and called police, Manrrique said. The child then was transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen where he was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m., he added.
“We are still working on the investigation; we are working with CPS (Child Protective Services) investigating the role the mother had in the case,” the spokesman said. “Indication is that she had no knowledge of the abuse. However, CPS still has to conduct further investigation to make sure the mother or other people didn’t have knowledge of abuse.”
As of now, the beating of the child looks to be an isolated incident with no previous signs of abuse, Manrrique said.
“They (Avila and the child’s mother) had a rough night,” he said. “The child had been crying the whole night and through his own admission, he (Avila) was extremely frustrated and he lost it.”
When approached on Wednesday morning, family members asked for understanding and privacy in their time of sorrow.
According to the preliminary autopsy results, Marco Avila also had several fractures of the head, blood on the brain, two broken ribs, a broken left clavicle bone and numerous contusions throughout the face and on the body.
“This all indicates that this 1-month-old child was basically beaten to death at the hands of his father, Israel Avila,” said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique. “This was no accident. This was a deliberate violent beating of a 1-month-old baby.”
Avila, 17, was arrested Monday afternoon and later charged with capital murder because the child was under 6 years old. On Tuesday morning Municipal Judge Rene De Coss set Avila’s bond at $1million and sent him to Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center.
On Monday morning, Avila and his common-law wife took the baby to Valley Regional Medical Center-Brownsville, where physicians examining the baby found signs of abuse and called police, Manrrique said. The child then was transported to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen where he was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m., he added.
“We are still working on the investigation; we are working with CPS (Child Protective Services) investigating the role the mother had in the case,” the spokesman said. “Indication is that she had no knowledge of the abuse. However, CPS still has to conduct further investigation to make sure the mother or other people didn’t have knowledge of abuse.”
As of now, the beating of the child looks to be an isolated incident with no previous signs of abuse, Manrrique said.
“They (Avila and the child’s mother) had a rough night,” he said. “The child had been crying the whole night and through his own admission, he (Avila) was extremely frustrated and he lost it.”
When approached on Wednesday morning, family members asked for understanding and privacy in their time of sorrow.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Kirsi Nadzeika Charged with Assault and Battery on Child
A 43-year-old Mashpee woman accused of seriously assaulting her 4-week-old baby boy — including flailing him around the room while holding onto his leg — was arraigned in Falmouth District Court yesterday.
Kirsi Nadzeika of 11 Periwinkle Lane was charged with domestic assault and battery, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a child with injury, after police found her assaulting and attempting to smother her son, Nathan Nadzeika.
Legal history
Kirsi Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state.
She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
The child was "significantly injured," the court documents state, and Nadzeika has a "prior record of violence."
According to court documents, Nadzeika was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the alleged assault.
A spokesman from the Mashpee Fire Department said the baby was taken to Falmouth Hospital, but his condition was not known. A spokeswoman from Cape Cod Healthcare said the child was taken to another facility, but that could not be confirmed last night.
According to Police Chief Rodney Collins, officers were called to a domestic disturbance involving a child at Nadzeika's home at 12:59 a.m. yesterday. When they arrived, officers Ollie Naas and Ralph Mahoney heard screaming and entered the house.
In the kitchen, they found Leslie Brown, later identified as Nadzeika's boyfriend, on the kitchen floor trying to restrain a partially nude Nadzeika, who was holding the baby boy, Collins said. Furniture was overturned, and the floor was littered with household items.
The officers told Brown to step away from her, which he did, Collins said. They saw that the baby was bleeding from the mouth and had multiple injuries to his body. The officers told Nadzeika to move away from the baby, but she refused, according to the police, and tried to smother him.
The officers struggled with Nadzeika, Collins said. She squeezed the baby's right leg and stood up, flailing the baby's body around with "great force." Mahoney pried the baby free and Naas stopped him from hitting the ground.
Nadzeika continued to resist arrest, Collins said. She yelled Latin and religious phrases and told Mahoney he was "the devil."
Nadzeika had allegedly consumed wine and cocaine, according to court documents. Collins said that he could not immediately comment on how that was determined but said that she was obviously "high."
"Obviously it was an intense situation," Collins said. "The officers showed tremendous restraint and did a commendable job in an unfortunate set of circumstances."
Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state. She also has a history of not showing up for court appearances.
She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. She is scheduled for a Nov. 10 pretrial conference.
Kirsi Nadzeika of 11 Periwinkle Lane was charged with domestic assault and battery, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a child with injury, after police found her assaulting and attempting to smother her son, Nathan Nadzeika.
Legal history
Kirsi Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state.
She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
The child was "significantly injured," the court documents state, and Nadzeika has a "prior record of violence."
According to court documents, Nadzeika was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the alleged assault.
A spokesman from the Mashpee Fire Department said the baby was taken to Falmouth Hospital, but his condition was not known. A spokeswoman from Cape Cod Healthcare said the child was taken to another facility, but that could not be confirmed last night.
According to Police Chief Rodney Collins, officers were called to a domestic disturbance involving a child at Nadzeika's home at 12:59 a.m. yesterday. When they arrived, officers Ollie Naas and Ralph Mahoney heard screaming and entered the house.
In the kitchen, they found Leslie Brown, later identified as Nadzeika's boyfriend, on the kitchen floor trying to restrain a partially nude Nadzeika, who was holding the baby boy, Collins said. Furniture was overturned, and the floor was littered with household items.
The officers told Brown to step away from her, which he did, Collins said. They saw that the baby was bleeding from the mouth and had multiple injuries to his body. The officers told Nadzeika to move away from the baby, but she refused, according to the police, and tried to smother him.
The officers struggled with Nadzeika, Collins said. She squeezed the baby's right leg and stood up, flailing the baby's body around with "great force." Mahoney pried the baby free and Naas stopped him from hitting the ground.
Nadzeika continued to resist arrest, Collins said. She yelled Latin and religious phrases and told Mahoney he was "the devil."
Nadzeika had allegedly consumed wine and cocaine, according to court documents. Collins said that he could not immediately comment on how that was determined but said that she was obviously "high."
"Obviously it was an intense situation," Collins said. "The officers showed tremendous restraint and did a commendable job in an unfortunate set of circumstances."
Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state. She also has a history of not showing up for court appearances.
She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. She is scheduled for a Nov. 10 pretrial conference.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Jocquise Coleman Faces Charges of Murder by Child Abuse
An 18-year-old Las Vegas man will face a judge Friday, two days after he turned himself in to police to face charges of murder by child abuse.
Jocquise Coleman disappeared after his girlfriend’s baby, 16-month-old Lamaj Terry, was rushed to a hospital with severe injuries that doctors determined were the result of “definite physical abuse.”
Coleman’s girlfriend, Brittany Terry, said she had left the child in his custody several times while she went to work. She told police she noticed some bruises on the boy days before his death, but Coleman insisted the child hurt himself playing.
“You never think it could happen in your own back yard,” a neighbor, Tanisha, saed. “It does make you think twice about who you’re going to trust [with your kids].”
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Previous Stories:
September 23, 2009: Police Arrest Accused Child Killer
Jocquise Coleman disappeared after his girlfriend’s baby, 16-month-old Lamaj Terry, was rushed to a hospital with severe injuries that doctors determined were the result of “definite physical abuse.”
Coleman’s girlfriend, Brittany Terry, said she had left the child in his custody several times while she went to work. She told police she noticed some bruises on the boy days before his death, but Coleman insisted the child hurt himself playing.
“You never think it could happen in your own back yard,” a neighbor, Tanisha, saed. “It does make you think twice about who you’re going to trust [with your kids].”
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Previous Stories:
September 23, 2009: Police Arrest Accused Child Killer
Texas Child Protective Services Will Provide More Information About Children Who Die of Abuse
A state law that requires Texas Child Protective Services to provide the public with more information about children who die of abuse quietly went into effect this month.
Although the agency releases some basic information about children who die of abuse or neglect, the practice has never been uniform across the state. Now, within five days of a child abuse death, the agency will have to provide the child's gender, age, date of death, and whether the child was in a foster home or living with a parent or guardian or someone else at the time of death. Law enforcement agencies typically release the names of deceased children, once relatives are notified.
Also, CPS will now have 10 days to produce a report to the public after the agency completes its own investigation into how the child died.
That 10-day report will include whether abuse was a factor in the child's death, a summary of previous abuse reports and those report results, and a description of any services offered to the victim's family before the death.
The law is the third attempt by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, to get this information regularly released to the public.
He credited Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein for helping him craft a law that passed this last session.
“They have been much more willing to work with us this session than they have been in the past,” Uresti said.
“How are we every going to fix the problem if we don't know what the problems are?” he said.
Uresti first came up against the CPS confidentiality rules as a state representative, following the Christmas Day 2003 death of Jovonie Ochoa, a 4-year-old San Antonio child who had been starved to death by his family.
As a lawmaker and then-chairman of the Texas House Committee on Human Services, Uresti had access to all of the child's information, but the agency's own confidentiality rules barred him from discussing those details with the public.
“My hands were tied,” Uresti said.
Following Jovonie's death, it was revealed that CPS had visited his family the year before but lost track of the family and closed the case. About 20 percent of child abuse deaths in Texas involve children in families already known to CPS.
Three such cases this year in the Houston area prompted Heiligenstein to send a team here to review the agency's investigations.
Two-month-old Amber Maccurdy of Katy, 4-year-old Emma Thompson of Spring and 3-year-old David Lee Tijerina of Conroe all died from abuse after CPS had visited their homes to check on them.
Although the agency releases some basic information about children who die of abuse or neglect, the practice has never been uniform across the state. Now, within five days of a child abuse death, the agency will have to provide the child's gender, age, date of death, and whether the child was in a foster home or living with a parent or guardian or someone else at the time of death. Law enforcement agencies typically release the names of deceased children, once relatives are notified.
Also, CPS will now have 10 days to produce a report to the public after the agency completes its own investigation into how the child died.
That 10-day report will include whether abuse was a factor in the child's death, a summary of previous abuse reports and those report results, and a description of any services offered to the victim's family before the death.
The law is the third attempt by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, to get this information regularly released to the public.
He credited Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Anne Heiligenstein for helping him craft a law that passed this last session.
“They have been much more willing to work with us this session than they have been in the past,” Uresti said.
“How are we every going to fix the problem if we don't know what the problems are?” he said.
Uresti first came up against the CPS confidentiality rules as a state representative, following the Christmas Day 2003 death of Jovonie Ochoa, a 4-year-old San Antonio child who had been starved to death by his family.
As a lawmaker and then-chairman of the Texas House Committee on Human Services, Uresti had access to all of the child's information, but the agency's own confidentiality rules barred him from discussing those details with the public.
“My hands were tied,” Uresti said.
Following Jovonie's death, it was revealed that CPS had visited his family the year before but lost track of the family and closed the case. About 20 percent of child abuse deaths in Texas involve children in families already known to CPS.
Three such cases this year in the Houston area prompted Heiligenstein to send a team here to review the agency's investigations.
Two-month-old Amber Maccurdy of Katy, 4-year-old Emma Thompson of Spring and 3-year-old David Lee Tijerina of Conroe all died from abuse after CPS had visited their homes to check on them.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Pit Bull Chews Off Baby's Toes
Sheriff's deputies are charging a North Carolina couple with felony child abuse after a pit bull dog chewed the toes off a 4-month old baby's foot.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the 1-year-old pit bull chewed off all the toes on the child's left foot while he was on a couch Sunday night.
Deputies say the child's mother, Robie Lynn Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Tremayne Spillman, were dog-sitting for a man arrested Saturday night for illegal possession of a gun.
Authorities say they are charging a North Carolina woman who slept as a pit bull chewed the toes off her 4-month-old baby's left foot.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the child's mother, Robie Lynn Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Tremayne Spillman, will be charged with felony child abuse.
Deputies say the couple were dog-sitting the 1-year-old pit bull for a friend who had been arrested on gun charges.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that the baby, who lost the toes on the left foot after the dog chewed them off Sunday night, won't be released from Pitt Memorial Hospital any time soon.
The sheriff's office said the pit bull is in animal control custody undergoing medical tests for several diseases, including rabies.
Jenkins told police she was on medication and didn't hear the child crying during the night while she slept in the same room. She said she didn't discover the injury until she changed the child's diaper Monday morning.
Deputies said that hospital officials said the child may lose his foot.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the 1-year-old pit bull chewed off all the toes on the child's left foot while he was on a couch Sunday night.
Deputies say the child's mother, Robie Lynn Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Tremayne Spillman, were dog-sitting for a man arrested Saturday night for illegal possession of a gun.
Authorities say they are charging a North Carolina woman who slept as a pit bull chewed the toes off her 4-month-old baby's left foot.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Monday that the child's mother, Robie Lynn Jenkins, and her boyfriend, Tremayne Spillman, will be charged with felony child abuse.
Deputies say the couple were dog-sitting the 1-year-old pit bull for a friend who had been arrested on gun charges.
The Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that the baby, who lost the toes on the left foot after the dog chewed them off Sunday night, won't be released from Pitt Memorial Hospital any time soon.
The sheriff's office said the pit bull is in animal control custody undergoing medical tests for several diseases, including rabies.
Jenkins told police she was on medication and didn't hear the child crying during the night while she slept in the same room. She said she didn't discover the injury until she changed the child's diaper Monday morning.
Deputies said that hospital officials said the child may lose his foot.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Katherine Nadal Sentenced to 99 years for Mutilating her Son
A Houston-area mother convicted of mutilating her infant by cutting off his genitals two years ago was sentenced Monday to 99 years in prison.
But minutes after the jury's sentence was read, Katherine Nadal, 28, yelled out that she did not hurt her son, prompting the boy's father to storm out of the courtroom.
Jurors deliberated for two hours Monday night before returning the sentence, which also included a $10,000 fine. The same jury had convicted her last week of first-degree felony injury to a child.
The jurors chose among possible sentences ranging from probation to life in prison. Nadal, who shook her head as the jury foreman read the sentence, will have to serve at least 30 years before she is eligible for parole.
Prosecutors asked for life in prison. Nadal's attorneys did not request a specific sentence, instead asking the jury to not punish her out of hate or revenge.
Nadal had claimed the family dog, a 6- to 7-pound dachshund named "Shorty" was responsible for mutilating her then-5-week-old son, Holden Gothia, as he slept in his parent's bedroom in March 2007 at their suburban Houston apartment.
But prosecutors said she was high on drugs when she mutilated her son with an unknown sharp instrument. Authorities say Nadal, who had prior drug arrests, tested positive for cocaine, methadone and Xanax after the attack.
Holden survived, but the severed body parts were never found.
After the sentence was announced, Holden's paternal aunt, Patches DeShazo, who has custody of the now 2-year-old boy, read a victim impact statement in the courtroom.
"I am thankful by time you are eligible for parole you will be beyond childbearing years. It makes me crazy to this very day to hear you say I did not hurt him," DeShazo said as she read her statement.
That prompted Nadal to yell back from the table where she sat with her defense attorneys: "I failed him. I did not hurt him."
The boy's father, Camden Gothia, then stood up and yelled to Nadal, "You abused him when he was in the womb," a reference to Nadal having taken drugs when she was pregnant with Holden. Gothia then left the courtroom.
DeShazo and her husband were given custody after his parents relinquished their rights. His father sees him regularly.
After the hearing, prosecutor Tammy Thomas told reporters that Nadal will never admit what she did.
"I don't know if this is justice to merit the damage," a teary-eyed Thomas said. "This is as close as we can get."
Allen Isbell, one of Nadal's attorneys, said he was disappointed that the sentence was "so long."
During closing arguments in the punishment phase of the trial, Thomas told jurors that Nadal had sentenced her child to a life of pain and suffering. "She took his identity as a human being and either flushed it or threw it in a trash can," Thomas added.
Doctors testified that he faces years of surgeries and counseling.
Nadal's attorneys told jurors that nothing they did would help Holden.
"This jury must punish Katie Nadal. That's your job. But what is appropriate? I hope you don't do it out of hate or revenge," defense attorney Skip Cornelius said.
But minutes after the jury's sentence was read, Katherine Nadal, 28, yelled out that she did not hurt her son, prompting the boy's father to storm out of the courtroom.
Jurors deliberated for two hours Monday night before returning the sentence, which also included a $10,000 fine. The same jury had convicted her last week of first-degree felony injury to a child.
The jurors chose among possible sentences ranging from probation to life in prison. Nadal, who shook her head as the jury foreman read the sentence, will have to serve at least 30 years before she is eligible for parole.
Prosecutors asked for life in prison. Nadal's attorneys did not request a specific sentence, instead asking the jury to not punish her out of hate or revenge.
Nadal had claimed the family dog, a 6- to 7-pound dachshund named "Shorty" was responsible for mutilating her then-5-week-old son, Holden Gothia, as he slept in his parent's bedroom in March 2007 at their suburban Houston apartment.
But prosecutors said she was high on drugs when she mutilated her son with an unknown sharp instrument. Authorities say Nadal, who had prior drug arrests, tested positive for cocaine, methadone and Xanax after the attack.
Holden survived, but the severed body parts were never found.
After the sentence was announced, Holden's paternal aunt, Patches DeShazo, who has custody of the now 2-year-old boy, read a victim impact statement in the courtroom.
"I am thankful by time you are eligible for parole you will be beyond childbearing years. It makes me crazy to this very day to hear you say I did not hurt him," DeShazo said as she read her statement.
That prompted Nadal to yell back from the table where she sat with her defense attorneys: "I failed him. I did not hurt him."
The boy's father, Camden Gothia, then stood up and yelled to Nadal, "You abused him when he was in the womb," a reference to Nadal having taken drugs when she was pregnant with Holden. Gothia then left the courtroom.
DeShazo and her husband were given custody after his parents relinquished their rights. His father sees him regularly.
After the hearing, prosecutor Tammy Thomas told reporters that Nadal will never admit what she did.
"I don't know if this is justice to merit the damage," a teary-eyed Thomas said. "This is as close as we can get."
Allen Isbell, one of Nadal's attorneys, said he was disappointed that the sentence was "so long."
During closing arguments in the punishment phase of the trial, Thomas told jurors that Nadal had sentenced her child to a life of pain and suffering. "She took his identity as a human being and either flushed it or threw it in a trash can," Thomas added.
Doctors testified that he faces years of surgeries and counseling.
Nadal's attorneys told jurors that nothing they did would help Holden.
"This jury must punish Katie Nadal. That's your job. But what is appropriate? I hope you don't do it out of hate or revenge," defense attorney Skip Cornelius said.
Christopher Jason Elrod Charged with Killing His Daughter
A man charged with homicide by child abuse has been denied bond.
Christopher Jason Elrod, 30, had his first appearance in Lexington County Bond Court, Saturday afternoon. According to Lexington County Detention Center officials, he was denied bond and future court dates are pending. He is still being detained at the Lexington County Detention Center.
Elrod was arrested Friday by Lexington County Sheriff's Deputies who say he killed his daughter by suffocation. He's been charged with homicide by child abuse.
The arrest came at the end of a joint investigation by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, the Lexington County Coroner's office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The warrant against him states that on December 7, 2008, Elrod held his daughter, Calen Elrod, tightly against his body. Deputies say his actions obstructed the girl's ability to breath, and the coroner's office determined she died from suffocation.
Deputies say on Friday, they conducted an interview with Elrod that allowed them to get information that helped establish probable cause in the case, allowing them to formally charge Elrod.
Trial Begins for Richard Jay Swank Charged with Sexual Abuse
Through tears, the daughter of a man on trial for years of allegedly abusing his son told of a time when her father gave her a gun and tried to get her to kill her abused brother.
The trial of Richard Jay Swank, 47, charged with multiple counts of sexual of abuse of a child, opened on Monday morning with Deputy District Attorney Kathleen DiDonato describing a horrendous life of the victim — not just from sexual abuse but also years of torture, beatings, starvation and isolation from the rest of the family.
“The beatings at the hands of his father started when the victim was about three or four years old,” DiDonato told the jury. “Shortly before 10 years old is when years and years of sexual abuse began that included repeated sodomizing and oral copulation.”
Swank is charged with multiple counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, sexual penetration with a foreign object and oral copulation by force.
The trial of Richard Jay Swank, 47, charged with multiple counts of sexual of abuse of a child, opened on Monday morning with Deputy District Attorney Kathleen DiDonato describing a horrendous life of the victim — not just from sexual abuse but also years of torture, beatings, starvation and isolation from the rest of the family.
“The beatings at the hands of his father started when the victim was about three or four years old,” DiDonato told the jury. “Shortly before 10 years old is when years and years of sexual abuse began that included repeated sodomizing and oral copulation.”
Swank is charged with multiple counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child, sexual penetration with a foreign object and oral copulation by force.
Ria Ramkissoon Guilty of Starving Child to Death Will Soon Be Released from Jail
A Maryland woman who pleaded guilty last March to child abuse resulting in the starvation death of her one year-old son at the hands of a Baltimore-based religious cult will soon be released from jail.
Ria Ramkissoon will receive a 20-year suspended sentence for testifying against Queen Antoinette who led the cult called One Mind Ministries, who instructed Ramkissoon to deprive young Javon Thompson of food and water for not saying amen before meals. The infant who died in Baltimore was later found in a suitcase in Philadelphia. Ramkissoon’s lawyer reported that cult members believed if the body could travel with them, the child could be resurrected.
The mother was one of five cult members charged in Javon’s death; she has agreed to testify against those involved in addition to Queen Antoinette. Both defense and prosecuting attorneys have moved to send Ramkissoon to counseling.
Ria Ramkissoon will receive a 20-year suspended sentence for testifying against Queen Antoinette who led the cult called One Mind Ministries, who instructed Ramkissoon to deprive young Javon Thompson of food and water for not saying amen before meals. The infant who died in Baltimore was later found in a suitcase in Philadelphia. Ramkissoon’s lawyer reported that cult members believed if the body could travel with them, the child could be resurrected.
The mother was one of five cult members charged in Javon’s death; she has agreed to testify against those involved in addition to Queen Antoinette. Both defense and prosecuting attorneys have moved to send Ramkissoon to counseling.
Glen Runnels Charged with Child Abuse
A Topeka man was charged with four counts of child abuse Thursday in Mason County Court.
According to court records, Glen D. Runnels, 34, is accused of striking a child younger than 13 on the back and buttocks with a belt and an incense burner on Aug. 8.
Runnels is charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a child, a Class X felony, and two counts of aggravated domestic battery of a child, a Class 2 felony.
He is being held in the Mason County jail on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear with public defender Roger Thomson at 10 a.m. Thursday.
According to court records, Glen D. Runnels, 34, is accused of striking a child younger than 13 on the back and buttocks with a belt and an incense burner on Aug. 8.
Runnels is charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a child, a Class X felony, and two counts of aggravated domestic battery of a child, a Class 2 felony.
He is being held in the Mason County jail on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled to appear with public defender Roger Thomson at 10 a.m. Thursday.
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