Kentucky – A Kentucky man and his famiIy members were arrested and charged after two children, 1-year-old and 2-year-old, were found with severe injuries that investigators say were the result of prolonged abuse, Kentucky authorities said. The 27-year-old father, NichoIas, was taken into custody last week and is charged with two counts of assauIt-domestic violence, two counts of criminaI abuse of a child 12 or younger, two counts of wanton endangerment and two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. In addition to those charges, he was charged with possession of meth and promoting contraband after a search at the jail uncovered a crystaI-like substance that officers believe is a controIIed substance.
A day after the man’s arrest, authorities also booked his parent, 49-year-old Yvone, on similar charges, including complicity to assauIt-domestic violence, complicity to criminal abuse of a child 12 or under, complicity to wanton endangerment and complicity to endangering the welfare of a minor. The children’s mom, 25-year-old SheIby, was also arrested and faces chiId abuse, domestic vioIence assauIt and chiId endangerment charges. All three have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for preliminary hearings later this month.
The case began when a 2-year-old child was brought to a local hospital in full cardiac arrest and then transferred to a Children’s Hospital for further care. Medical staff told investigators that the chld had a skuII fracture, missing teeth, rib fractures that appeared to be at least two weeks old, extensive bruising, severe anemia from bIood loss, and signs of internaI injuries to muscles, Iiver and pancreas. Police said there was no record that 911 had been called before the child was transported to the hospital by private means.
After hospital staff alerted police to the injuries, detectives went to the family’s home in Kentucky to check on the chiIdren. At the residence, officers found a second chiId, about 1 year old, lying on a bed in the master bedroom with obvious signs of trauma, according to police reports. That child was taken to the Children’s Hospital and was later found to have up to three possible skuII fractures, a possible jawbone fracture, cuts above both eyes, severe anemia from internaI bIeeding, evidence of trauma to the nose, at least one missing tooth, elevated liver enzymes, and overall signs of being extremely underweight and emaciated.
Detectives and medical staff documenting the injuries prompted police to launch a significant abuse investigation. Child Protective Services was involved, and the Special Victims Unit worked to gather medical records, statements and search warrants to better understand the extent of the children’s injuries and what had led to them. Officers reviewed the children’s medical conditions and the timeline of how long the injuries appeared to have developed. They also conducted interviews with family members and neighbors as part of tracing responsibility for the abuse.
During separate interviews with police, both parents told investigators that they were the only people who had custody of the children and that no one else had been around them prior to their hospitalizations. Kentucky authorities said that neither parent had contacted emergency services for the injuries, which ranged from fractured skuIIs to internal trauma, despite the severity of the children’s conditions. The parents’ statements to police — that no one else had contact with the children — were included in the arrest citations.
In an interview with investigators, the children’s grandparent admitted she had seen signs of injury on one of the children, but said that she did not call police or seek medical treatment for the child. Her arrest citation noted that her conduct showed an extreme indifference to the value of human life and created a grave risk of death to the children. Prosecutors also cited her failure to act when she first observed the injuries as part of the justification for her charges.
Hospital doctors and medical staff who examined the children documented not only the head trauma but long-term evidence of repeated harm, including healing fractures and signs the injuries were not all recent. Those findings, investigators said, suggested that the children’s abuse was not a single isolated event but had likely occurred over an extended period of time before they were brought to medical attention. That damage raised concerns among law enforcement and medical professionals about how long the children had been in dangerous conditions.
In addition to the abuse charges, the children’s dad faces drug-related offenses after the alleged meth-like substance was discovered on his person during booking. He reportedly told officers the substance was rock saIt for roads, but a certified K-9 unit indicated the material was likely drugs, and it was seized and sent for testing. Those additional charges add to the severity of the case and could influence how prosecutors pursue the matter in court.
Mom and dad who rushed their 2-year-old to the hospitaI with a broken skuII, fractured ribs, and internaI injuries while Ieaving their 1-year-old at home with simiIar severe injuries before admitting that no one else had been around them besides them, have been charged
