Statesville woman faces child abuse charges

By: Statesville Record & Landmark Staff | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: March 15, 2012

A Wilson Lee Boulevard woman was charged with felony child abuse and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury after a probe that was initiated by a report of a runaway juvenile.

Statesville Police Chief Tom Anderson said the investigation began Monday when officers took a report on a 14-year-old who had run away from home. The officers located her at the home of a friend on Raleigh Avenue, and she asked not to be returned home, he said, telling officers she had been abused. Anderson said she had visible bruises on her neck.

She agreed to accompany officers to the police department, and investigator Sharon Watts began looking into her claims of abuse.

The girl told Watts that she had been tied up and assaulted with the wooden handle from a plunger and an extension cord some eight times in recent months, Anderson said. She told police her three siblings were being beaten as well.

The Iredell County Department of Social Services was contacted and that agency opened an investigation as well, Anderson said.

The girl told investigators that she had also been struck in the head with a hammer and she had scar tissue consistent with that type of injury, Anderson said.

He said evidence indicates that the girl never received any medical treatment for her injuries.

Police executed a search warrant at the home of her mother, and arrested her on the two felony charges. The suspect, who isn’t being identified to protect the identity of the alleged victim, was jailed in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

There were a total of five children in the house, including the 14-year-old. All but one, who is 18, was removed from the home by DSS, Anderson said.