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MANITOWOC — A 37-year-old Manitowoc
man, charged with felony child abuse and felony bail jumping, made his initial appearance in front of Judge Jerome
Fox in Manitowoc County Circuit Court on Monday. Lyle C. Roeder, 411 N. 10th St., was released from Manitowoc County
Jail on $1,000 bail with the condition that he have no contact with the victim. According to a Manitowoc Police Department
report: A witness alleged that on May 30, Roeder hit a 7-year-old boy who has learning disabilities when the boy was
being fussy. She said Roeder hit the boy with a closed fist, shook him by the hair and grabbed him by the neck. The boy's
injuries were consistent with her statement. Roeder denied the allegations and said the boy's injuries might have
been the result of his falling or playing outside or being scratched by a cat. Roeder admitted he was out on bail for a non-related
child abuse case. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Middleton woman is charged with child abuse Middleton woman is charged with child abuse Tuesday, November 2, 2010 9:17 pm A Middleton woman was charged Tuesday with child abuse and
second-degree reckless injury for allegedly causing head injuries to her 2-week-old baby in August. Krystal M. Zaring,
22, dropped off her infant son with a friend the evening of Aug. 7 even though the boy's breathing seemed strange and
he had a fever, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court. The boy's temperature later
rose to 103 degrees and he became rigid, the complaint states. But when the friend suggested taking the boy to the hospital
right away, Zaring allegedly told her, "What the (expletive) do you want me to do? I'm drunk," according to
the complaint. Zaring told Middleton police that another friend had cared for the boy a day or two before and said she
hadn't noticed anything wrong with him when she picked him up the morning of Aug. 7. Dr. Barbara Knox, child abuse
expert at UW Children's Hospital, told police that the boy had suffered a skull fracture and was bleeding inside his skull,
probably from trauma that occurred only hours before his symptoms appeared, the complaint states. Zaring was jailed
on $20,000 bail after appearing in court Tuesday.
Wisconsin Rapids resident Joshua Werner gets
max for child abuseBy Nathaniel Shuda • Daily Tribune Staff • June 23, 2010
March 16, 2010 2:07 PM Two-Year-Old Boy Killed for Spilling Milk, Prosecutors Say Jovani
Martinez (Credit: CBS58) Racine, Wis (CBS/AP) According to a criminal complaint filed
Monday afternoon, 2-year-old Jovani Martinez was killed by his mother's boyfriend over spilled milk. Prosecutors say that
40-year-old Manual Garcia punched Jovani at least three times, because the boy wouldn't keep still. The boyfriend said, according to the complaint, that he didn't mean to kill Jovani,
but that he got angry because the toddler kept shaking his bottle and getting milk on his newborn sister, says CBS affiliate CBS58. The medical examiner found that Jovani died from perforated intestines, a lacerated liver and pancreas, and
broken ribs. The boy's mother and her boyfriend are in the Racine
County Jail, south of Milwaukee, charged in connection with his beating death. Garcia is charged with first-degree reckless
homicide for allegedly inflicting the fatal injuries. The toddler's mother, 24-year-old Lawanda D. Martinez, has been
charged with child neglect resulting in death and with possession of marijuana. Bond has been set at $300,000 for Garcia and
$75,000 for Martinez.
Father at loss to explain why he killed young son By Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Feb. 19, 2010 A
man who beat his 3-year-old son to death couldn't give a judge a clear answer for why he did it. "What were
you thinking?" Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Conen asked the defendant, Brandon Hardwick, at a sentencing hearing
Friday. "Why? How did this come about?" After a long pause, Hardwick, 22, answered simply: "I didn't
care for myself." Hardwick's attorney, Lori Kuehn, said Hardwick himself had been abused as a child. On the
March night when his son, Khamari, died of blunt force trauma to the head, Hardwick simply snapped, she said. According
to a criminal complaint, Hardwick told police he began beating the child and whipping him with a belt because Khamari made
a mess in the dining room. After making the boy stand in the corner, Hardwick grabbed him by the hand, smashing his head into
a wall. There was a hole in the wall, Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams said, likely caused by the impact of the little
boy's head. "My short bit of rage for that few minutes cost the life of someone who could have been something
great, was great already," Hardwick said during the hearing. "Please forgive me." For killing the boy
and for punching him in the stomach on an earlier occasion, Conen sentenced Hardwick to 13 years in prison and 10 years under
the supervision of the Department of Corrections after his release. More than 50 people were in the courtroom for the
hearing. Three of them - Khamari's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother - spoke on the child's behalf. Khamari
loved Spider-Man and riding his bike, they said. He was learning to tie his shoes. Although he loved animals, he was afraid
to ride a pony. "No way," he told his grandmother, Lynette Jordan. "That dog is too big." When
his great-grandmother came home from work, he would rush to sit in her favorite recliner so she would have to play with him
instead of sitting down. If she tried to take some time for herself, he would pound on the door until she let him in. And
he loved the park, even in the winter, especially the swings. "I'm not scared!" he would cry. "Push
me to the sky!" Khamari's great-grandmother, Norma Jordan, said the family has only been able to cope with
his death through constant prayer. "Khamari did not - I repeat myself - did not deserve to be abused, beaten or
tortured the way he was," she said. "He was a beautiful child. I want peace for my family and peace for my baby
who cannot speak for himself."
Judge allows tapes in infant abuse caseDaily Tribune Staff • February 10, 2010
Enhanced Punishment for Parents Who Murder Their
ChildrenTarget: US Legislators and Attorney General Little Aaron was only 11 weeks old when he was savagely
murdered by his father. There is no doubt that his father visciously killed this infant. The father was given
a prison term of 15 years. The judge does not want to take all hope from this murderer. There is no hope
for Aaron or the other 1500 american children killed each year by those responsible for their care. Aaron is gone
but he is not forgotten. He endured a horrible death and leaves behind a loving and grieving family. There are 1500 children in the USA murdered by parents/caregivers every year. The very people entrusted to love,
nurture and protect are killing these babies. This needs to stop. Let us send a clear message that there
is no excuse and enforce an even harsher punishment.. Wisconsin SB22 will do just that. It is
a bill for enhanced punishment when a child is murdered by parents/caregiver. The proposed bill is listed below. Murder is not an accident or a mistake, murder is murder.
We the undersigned
call upon the legislators of Wisconsin to passed SB 22 for enhanced punishment for parents who murder their children.
Below is a statement from the grandparents of little Aaron, who was brutally murdered by his father when he was only 11
weeks old. An 11 week old infant is totally helpless, cannot even roll over. Aaron was totally at the mercy of
his father and his father gave him no mercy and no comfort. Aaron's cry for comfort was met with brutal blows which
killed him.
Statement from the Grandparents of Aaron Michael Roberts 2/13/09
Senate Bill 22 is now before the Wisconsin State Senate Judiciary Committee. This Bill allows ALL Citizens of
Wisconsin to speak loudly for those who cannot. Aaron Michael Roberts could not shout out for help as he lay defenseless
in his crib the day he was beaten to death. We ask the People of this State to help us assist all those too
small to speak. Unite with us to send a clear message that we will not tolerate the abuse and murdering of our Children and
Grandchildren by the ones we are suppose to trust the most, by the ones who can only explain their actions by saying
I just lost it or I didn't know. Adding this tool to the Law Enforcements & District Attorneys arsenal will hopefully
give those who have the potential to harm our children a moment's pause, a pause long enough to save a Child life.
My wife and I want to be clear that any and all crimes against a child are particularly horrendous
and when committed by one who is entrusted to care for our children it becomes even more reprehensible; a
parent/caregiver should receive an enhanced penalty. Parents have a fundamental responsibility to safeguard and nurture
their children, not abuse or murder them. There are 1500 children in the USA murdered by parents/caregivers
every year, we are sickened by the almost daily news.., reporting that yet another child has fallen victim to abuse and death
by the one they look to for protection and guidance. Thanks to Senator Erpenbach and his staff
this bill is a reality and we encourage everyone to participate in the Public Hearing when announced and most importantly
to contact their Legislators and insist on support to pass Senate Bill-22 into law.
Aaron
Michael Roberts died 1 year ago today (2/13/08) and was never given the opportunity to speak and so we must speak for him
and for all those who still cannot. Do this for all children of such horrible crimes.
Grandma & Grandpa Farrell
With deep regrets we report this did not pass and the grandparents were
not treated with the respect they are entitled. They will coninue in their goa; to help other children.
Enhanced Punishment for
Parents Who Murder Their Children" petition! # 262:  | 12:41 am PDT, Jul 12, Esperanza Carlson, Wisconsin
My name is Esperanza Carlson, Esperanza
means Hope and I hope this message gets through on Sept 27, 2007 I got the dreaded nightmare call from my daughter: "Quick
mom get to the apartment Micah stopped breathing" Our world changed, Micah my grandson his world changed. We got to the
apartment and quickly followed the paramedics. All I knew at that time was Micah was still not breathing. We arrived at Childrens
Hospital and several hours later we sat in cold, sterile room and a doctor walked in. He was the emergency room Doctor and
told us the news: "This is Inflicted Trauma". I said "You mean someone did this to him?" In daze, confused
I realized my grandson would never be the same if he got through this. He had fractured Left Tibia, 2 blunt force trauma to
the head, bleeding behind both eyes, ears damage so severely would never hear. My Micah, would be blind, deaf, never walk,
never talk. This all happened Sept 27, 2007 his 3 month mark of age. He spent nearly 6 months at the hospital then on April
7th came home to us Grandma & Grandpa Carlson I got ill was admitted in the hospital and got out April 17th, and my precious
grandson died April 18th, 2009 he waited for Grandma. Our lives will never be the same. Court Trial set for October 12, 2009.
We need tougher laws, we need to protect those that cannot protect themselves because they are so little, so helpless, so
defenseless. We need a Bill that will show anyone who thinks it's okay to harm defenseless babies that they won't
get away with it with just a slap on the wrist. Tougher laws, Tougher sentences. I personally believe you take a life, then
you should get life. Micah never had a chance. We his grandparents speak up for him; since his father silenced him. So please
pass this bill for the sake of our future babies; for the sake of humanity; for the sake of Justice and doing the right thing.
Thank you for hearing my story about Micah and his father Michael Harman DeRosier is facing 1st degree reckless homicide with
a maximum of 60 years and I pray he is found guilty and gets the max |
Child allegedly beaten, starvedJUNEAU — An adoptive mother who allegedly punished her 14-year-old daughter by forcing her to sleep outdoors
naked, withholding food and fracturing her fingers has been charged with physical abuse of a child. Kathryn G. Kreier, 45, was set free on a signature bond following her initial appearance on the charge in Dodge County
Circuit Court Monday. The girl’s biological father Kenneth J. Krieir
, 44, is accused of failure to act to prevent bodily harm to a child. The complaint says he worked away from the home a great
deal, and didn’t participate in counseling and therapy sessions. A criminal
complaint says the child abuse spanned from September 2007 to December 2008 while the child lived with the Kreiers on a farm
on Hogsback Road in the town of Clyman. During that time the girl’s weight fluctuated from 91 pounds to 70 pounds. A social worker and detective that visited the Kreier’s home reported that the refrigerator
and cupboards were locked to prevent the child from gaining access, according to a child protective services report. Kathryn Kreier said the locks were necessary because the girl was obsessed with food, that
she would steal and hoard it, according to the complaint. Kreier also said the child was defiant, and exhibited other behavioral
problems. Dodgeland school staff reported that Kathryn Kreier insisted the
girl not be allowed to eat breakfasts or hot lunches while at school. When a teacher provided the girl with breakfast because
she was hungry, Kathryn Kreier reportedly withdrew the girl from the school, and told school officials to “wake up.”
Before the child was withdrawn from school in lieu of homeschooling, teachers
reported that she routinely fell asleep in class. Kathryn Kreier said it was because she was trying to get out of work. However,
the girl told police that she was required to begin chores on the farm at 4:30 a.m., and wasn’t allowed to eat until
they were done. The girl also said at times she would be forced to pick stones from pastures all night long as a form of punishment,
according to the complaint. The girl also reportedly said she was also forced
to sleep naked outside all night as punishment for bed wetting, and she was locked out of the home when nobody was there,
sometimes for an entire day. The complaint says the child also outlined physical
abuse at the hand of both Kathryn and Kenneth Kreier. Her nose was bloodied on numerous occasions, she was spanked with belts
and boards, and her fingers were “pulled,” resulting in fractures. The
complaint says the child was routinely examined by medical professionals. She was also admitted to a variety of hospitals
for treatment before being released back into the Kreier’s custody. While
the complaint says Kathryn Kreier said the child’s treatment was punishment for poor or defiant behavior — one
child service professional didn’t agree. A child protective services
worker said in a report that Kathryn Kreier, “consistently perceived any issues related to this child as the child’s
behavior and mental health problems rather than recognition of her own poor judgment and inappropriate care.” If convicted of the felony child abuse charge Kathryn Kreier faces up to 15 years in prison.
If Kenneth Kreier is convicted of failing to prevent the abuse, he could face 12 ½ years in prison. Both are due back
in court for a preliminary hearing to establish probable cause in March. The
child has been removed from the home and is living with her paternal grandparents.
Child abuse charges filed against Hubertus man
- By ED TRELEVEN | etreleven@madison.com | 608-252-6134 | Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 6:10 pm
Child abuse charges were filed Wednesday against man who allegedly cracked the ribs
of his 3-month old son earlier this month. Keith R. Miller, 28, of Hubertus, was charged with
child abuse and child abuse causing great bodily harm. According to court records he was convicted of child abuse in Milwaukee
County in 2000 and spent three years in prison. In the complaint filed Wednesday, police pointed
out to Miller the similarities in the injuries to the baby in the 2000 case and the latest case. According
to the complaint: The boy was taken to St. Mary's Hospital on Jan. 3 because he was breathing
noisily. A radiologist, however, discovered that the boy had multiple rib fractures. Child abuse
specialist Dr. Barbara Knox told police that rib fractures in a child of that age are uncommon because the ribs are still
elastic and flexible. The boy's mother also described an incident on Nov. 6 in which the boy
was bleeding from a cut inside his mouth. Miller told police that the blood was from an accidental scratch, but police said
it was a mouth tissue tear that can occur during forced feedings. Miller was jailed on $15,000
bail after appearing in court.
Man guilty in second child abuse trialSheboygan Press
staff • June 4, 2009 Israel Gutierrez, of 2016 N. 18th St., had a jury trial in April, but that resulted
in a hung jury and a mistrial on allegations he hit his 13-month-old boy when he swung the guitar at his wife. Gutierrez has
pleaded not guilty to felony child abuse on the grounds that hitting the child was an accident. The first jury convicted
Gutierrez of misdemeanor battery for an injury his wife suffered attempting to block the guitar. The second trial began
at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and yielded a verdict by 3 p.m. Gutierrez now faces up to 18 months in prison on the felony and up
to nine months in jail on the prior conviction for battery. According to the complaint, Gutierrez tried to strike his
wife after she made a comment as he watched the Olympics on TV. Gutierrez swung and missed, then swung again, hitting his
son. The boy suffered a skull fracture and a hemorrhage between the brain and the inside of his skull. The wife suffered
a bruised arm attempting to block the guitar. Gutierrez took the boy to the emergency room, claiming the boy had fallen,
but he left before hearing the results of a CAT scan. Gutierrez then went to another hospital, where the boy was given three
staples to close the wound. Doctors at the second hospital found the story suspicious and called police, and Gutierrez
then admitted hitting the boy.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Teen father charged with child abuse of weeks-old boy
By ANNE JUNGEN | ajungen@lacrossetribune.com
. VIROQUA —
A 23-day-old infant prosecutors say was battered at the hands of his teenage father had brain injuries and bruising consistent
with abuse, according to court documents.
Michael Wojczak, 18, of La Farge admitted shaking and throwing the infant
onto a bed May 17 because he wouldn’t stop crying, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in Vernon County Circuit
Court.
Wojczak also told authorities he shook the child May 11 or 12, and previously had grabbed the baby’s face
and squeezed the back of his neck, the complaint stated.
Wojczak was charged with two counts of physical abuse
of a child.
The mother and Wojczak brought the infant to Vernon Memorial Hospital early May 18 after the baby stopped
breathing.
The infant’s right eye was swollen shut and he had bruising on his face, neck, shoulder and shin,
the complaint stated.
A CT scan at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center showed two brain injuries, one older and the
other inflicted within 24 hours, according to the complaint. The child also had blood in his urine.
A baby sitter
told investigators she heard a “big thump” late May 17 when Wojczak was alone in a bedroom with the infant, the
complaint stated. Wojczak said he punched a wall, but no marks were found.
The infant constantly cried in his father’s
arms but stopped when given to another person, the complaint stated.
Wojczak is jailed on a $50,000 cash bond and
returns to court June 3 for a preliminary hearing
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Woman, 2 kids found dead in gas-soaked home
Man treated after inhaling fumes
at the house is taken into custody
April 30: The U.S. Marshals want your help finding their "15 Most Wanted"
fugitives, a notorious list of suspects fleeing everything from murder and robbery to child sex charges. To date, about 200
of the fugitives profiled on the list have been found. Tips leading to an arrest are rewarded up to $25,000.
NELSONVILLE,
Wis. - A woman and her two young children found dead Thursday in a gasoline-soaked house appeared to be victims of a "violent
death," and a man treated for inhaling fumes at the home was taken into custody, authorities said.
Portage
County Sheriff John Charewicz said the woman, her 2-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter appeared to have suffered a "violent
death" but a cause had not yet been determined.
A 36-year-old man and a 6-month-old girl who were found alive
were treated for inhaling fumes, as were the two deputies who discovered them.
The man, who lives at the home but
wasn't married to the woman, was being held as a "person of interest" in the deaths, the sheriff said.
Charewicz said the deputies discovered the bodies in the home, where the windows had been covered by blankets, cardboard
and drapes. They had visited the home on Wednesday night at the request of the woman's mother, who had not heard from
the family in a day, but no one answered the door.
'Going to go up in flames'
Gasoline had been dumped
inside the home from three 5-gallon containers and a gun was found near the man, who was holding the infant, Charewicz said.
He said that if the deputies had not returned, the home "was probably going to go up in flames. It was really
a lot of gasoline."
The identities of the victims and the man were not immediately released.
Neighbor
Beverly Isaacson said the woman had lost her housekeeping job last month at a Stevens Point hospital. Isaacson believed the
couple was separating.
"She was going to leave him, that is what I heard," she said.
Charewicz
said the two adults and three children were planning to move in with the woman's mother.
Nelsonville, a rural
central Wisconsin village of about 180 people, is 100 miles north of Madison
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Torture and Abuse of
a Child123March 5, 2009 · Portage police found extension cords, pliers and a brand new
hacksaw, shovel and a rake inside that Portage home. Clerc told the police the pliers were used to torture a 11 year old boy
who was found locked in an upstairs closet inside a bedroom.
The search warrant says the closet where the abused 11 year
old boy was kept had been nailed shut. The search warrant says , “There was an injury to his head. There appeared to
be a large burn on the thigh and he had streaks of what appeared to be blood on him.
The charges against the four include
hiding Tammie Garlin’s body and the abuse of the 11 year old boy. The boy told authorities he was repeatedly burned
with hot water by the four, including by his sister Felicia, who laughed as she burned him.
The boy said the four would
tie his hands behind his back and his legs together and then put him in the bathtub where they would run scalding hot water
over him, the complaint said. During such occasions, they would threaten to drown him.
The boy said they also scalded
his mother who was found murdered in the back yard, she to was forced into the closet.
His sister, Clark and Sisk also
strangled him multiple time, and pinched and kicked him in the stomach and face, the boy told authorities.
The boy said
he was whipped almost daily whit a belt and extension cords, and typically forced to get naked and locked in a closet in his
siter’s bedroom, where she slept.
Law enforcement afficials have said it was the worst case of child abuse they’ve
seen.
The boy also told authorities that, at first, his mother participated in abusing him, but the she herself became
a victim of the same abuse, sometimes being scalded with him in the bathtub.
A 15 year old girl and three adults were
charges Wednesday with murdering the girls mother, burying her body and torturing the girl’s little brother. The girl
helped bury her mother, 36 year old Tammy Garlin.
Suspects Michael Sisk, Candace Clark and Micheala Clerc were indicted
with a slew of charges. The three adults, all in their 20’s and the teenager were charged with a total of 43 counts
altogether, Clark and Sisk were denied bail. Felecia Garlin is charged with murder as she was a full participant and not coerced.
Barbara L. Knox, MD Medical Director of UW Hospital Child Protection Program reports the following:
The physical examination
of ACG….overall-grossly burned with significant new and old injuries from serial beatings and malnourishment. Specifically,
ACG had large ulcerated area on the top of his scalp, multiple cutaneous injuries around the rest of his scalp, a front upper
tooth missing, several other burn marks on his face and scalp, multiple burn and loop marks (from reported extension cord
beatings) throughout the torso, burns on both hands and swollen arms , burn scars on his legs and knees, extensive burns on
both feet. Dr. Knox also reports that some parts of the physical exam could not be completed because ACG’s injuries
caused him too much discomfort for these portions of the exam. Dr. knox also reports that ACG showed absence of significant
muscle mass. ACG was unable to walk because of the extensive burns on his feet. The radiology exam of ACG showed abnormalities,
likely due to dehydration. ACG’s final comment to Dr. Knox during his interview was “I don’t want to hurt
no more.”
The interviews also reveal the individuals have been living in the following States over the past year:
Florida, Maine Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Four children are in need of donations and here is where
you can Make donations:
Amcore Bank, 611 E. Wisconsin St., Portage, WI -53901-
Portage National
Bank, 2830 New Piney Road. portage, WI -53902-
Associated Bank, 222 E. Wisconsin St. Portage, WI.,-53901-
Community
Bank Portage, 2930 New Pinery Road, Portage WI, -53901-
U.S. Ban, Portage Downtown, 238 W. Wisconsin St., Portage WI
-53901-
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Fond du Lac man accused of inflicting what
doctors say was a "significant brain injury" to his 3-month-old daughter has been bound over for trial. Max A. Kleman, 25, of 76 Sibley St., appeared Friday on a $25,000 signature bond for a preliminary hearing
that culminated with Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Dale English deciding there was probable cause that Kleman committed
the crime of child abuse-recklessly cause great harm. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Dec. 15, 2008,
the Fond du Lac Fire Department and Police Department were called to the then Second Street home of Kelly Duignan and Kleman
for a report of a baby not breathing. Authorities found the child with a heart beat and shallow breathing, according to the
criminal complaint. Authorities found the child with a heart beat and shallow breathing, according to the criminal
complaint.The child was flown from St. Agnes Hospital to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
in Milwaukee. Fond du Lac County Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Tenerelli's first
witness, Fond du Lac Detective Mike Mueller, testified he interviewed Kleman twice and received two different stories from
the father. Mueller said Kleman reported that the child was crying so the father gently
bounced the child on his knee, the baby went limp, he placed her on the floor and then went to get the mother from a different
part of the home. Kleman later told Mueller he was carrying the baby without supporting
her head and sat down quickly on the couch, causing her head to hit his shoulder bone, according to Mueller. The baby stopped crying when Kleman sat down. Kleman then brought the child in front of him quickly and saw
her head snap back. The child soon went limp, according to Mueller. Dr. Thomas Valdano,
child abuse pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, testified that when the child arrived she was suffering
hemorrhaging around the eyes that is only seen in abusive head damage cases and seizures. He added that the child had bruising
over the abdomen. "We are talking about a really significant force," Valdano
said. Valdano told Defense Attorney Kirk Everson during cross-examination that the bruises
could have been caused at an earlier date, but other tests done while saving the child showed the brain damage occurred shortly
before the child arrived at the hospital. Valdano added that he interviewed the mother,
who told him that she was wrapping Christmas presents earlier on Dec. 15, 2008, and the child was smiling and laughing while
playing with ribbons. Tenerelli said the child is improving but will likely have issues
with sight for the rest of her life. If convicted as charged, Kleman faces a maximum sentence
of 10 years prison and a fine up to $25,000. Judge Peter Grimm will oversee further proceedings
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fatal Care: Fostering
reform in child welfare Baby dies; parent charged Kristyna Wentz-GraffJill Garcia turns on the favorite musical toy of her grandson, Emiliano Garcia-Cruz, at her home Wednesday.
Emiliano suffered fatal head injuries Saturday while in the care of his father, Julio Cruz. Cruz was charged Wednesday with
second-degree reckless homicide. 6-month-old is latest in list of infant abuse casesBy Crocker Stephenson of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Mar. 4, 2009 Emiliano Garcia-Cruz shared a room
with his mom and three turtles. His favorite toy was a glowworm. When you press a square on the glowworm's chest, the
toy plays a song. Samantha Garcia, Emiliano's mom, presses the square. Brahms' Lullaby. She holds the doll and
listens. Emiliano, who was 6 months old, died Sunday of injuries so violent that they caused his eyes to bleed. His
19-year-old father, Julio Cruz, was charged Wednesday with killing him. According to a criminal complaint, Garcia and
Cruz shared custody of their son. Thursday through Sunday, the baby lived with his father. The rest of the time, he lived
with his mom. Cruz has given police conflicting accounts of how the injuries occurred, the complaint says. He
said he was playing a video game Saturday when the infant, who lay on his chest, stopped breathing. He said he tripped over
a toy and dropped the child. He said he was lying on his bed, bouncing the baby on his legs and he accidentally let go. He
said he was throwing the child in the air to stop him from crying and missed. He said he was rocking the child, accidentally
let go, tossing him head-first into a wall. Emiliano was taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where he died
the next day. "This is the blanket I held him with when he passed," Samantha Garcia says. She unfolds
a plush blanket decorated with teddy bears. She rolls the blanket up and holds it in her arms. Garcia, 24, says there
was nothing about Cruz that indicated he would hurt Emiliano. She says he had always returned from his father's home happy
and without a mark. "I thought my baby was in the best hands," she says. Cruz is charged with second-degree
reckless homicide. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. The charge against him brings the number of fatal
child abuse cases open in Milwaukee County Circuit Court to nine.
The other eight cases:
Crystal
Keith, 24, is charged with the Nov. 11 beating death of 13-month-old Christopher Thomas and with torturing his 2-year-old
sister. Her husband, Reginald Keith, 26, is charged with child neglect and with failing to report the
abuse suffered by Christopher's sister. Crystal and Reginald Keith are the Thomas children's aunt and uncle and were
their kinship foster parents. Police say the children were abused despite repeated visits to their home by Bureau of Milwaukee
Child Welfare caseworkers.
Vera Morehouse, 21, is charged with allowing her 7-week-old son, Lamour
Caesar-Burnley, to starve to death. The child welfare bureau had been notified repeatedly of abuse in Morehouse's home
but were not pursuing the matter when Lamour died.
Melody Cole, 29, is charged with the 2006
starvation of her 7-month-old daughter, Layunnia Lewis. Layunnia perished despite repeated visits to her home by child welfare
workers who were checking on the condition of an abused older sibling.
Salvador Ochoa, 33, is
charged with killing his 2-month-old daughter, Rubi Ochoa-Dervantes, by punching her in the stomach Dec. 10, 2005. According
to investigative reports, a doctor who treated the girl for a skull fracture when the infant was a month old notified child
protective services after the family did not show up for a follow-up examination.
Malcolm Eiland, 18,
pleaded guilty last week to the Sept. 23 beating death his 6-month-old son, Jaiden Eiland. Eiland slammed his son
on the floor, shook him and burned his right hand with scalding water.
Michael Harman-Derosier,
25, is charged with beating his 9-month-old son, Micah, to death. According to police, the child lingered in a coma for nearly
seven months, then died April 18.
Manuela Velazquez-Rodriquez, 39, is charged with shaking her
6-week-old daughter, Zully Antonio-Velazquez, to death. According to police, the mother told investigators she shook her daughter,
who died Sept. 18, because the girl would not eat.
"I don't know what's going on," said Assistant
District Attorney Mark Williams, head of the Milwaukee County district attorney's homicide unit. "In 18 years, I
haven't seen this many baby deaths in this short of time."
Woman charged with child abuseBy
Journal Times staffMonday, February 23, 2009
7:01 PM CST
RACINE — A woman who allegedly sat by and watched her
boyfriend beat his teenage daughter has been charged with child abuse.
Samantha Gardner, 28, of 1043 Harbridge
Ave., was charged Monday with party to the crime of physical abuse of a child, party to the crime of substantial battery and
failure to act to prevent bodily harm to a child. If convicted she faces up to 24 years in prison.
Gardner’s
bond was set at $500 in Racine County Circuit Court on Monday.
According to the criminal complaint against Gardner,
she was in the room on Jan. 22 while her boyfriend beat his 14-year-old daughter with a bed post.
The girl suffered a broken arm and severe bruising in the incident. She was taken into protective custody by
the Racine County Human Services Department the day after the attack, when she snuck out of the house to report it.
The boyfriend was arrested and charged with physical abuse to a child and substantial battery in January.
Defend's comment Why is the name of the father not posted in this report? He did the beating
and yes this woman should but apparantly did not prevent this child from being beaten. this raises many questions such
as is this woman a victim of abuse herself? Was this woman able to get away and at least call for help? There
is no excuse for child abuse.
Wi. boy's essay
lands dad with child-abuse charge Associated Press - 6:54 PM CST, February 14, 2009
OREGON, Wis. - A father allegedly shot his 9-year-old son in the buttocks with a BB
gun, a revelation that came to light after the boy wrote a school essay about the incident.
The essay referred
to the "painful afternoon my Dad shot me with a BB gun." The boy wrote that his mother could hear him scream from
the road, and called the experience "the most painful thing I ever felt in my life."
The elementary-school
teacher turned the essay over to Dane County investigators.
David J. Peschl, 36, was charged Friday with one felony
count of child abuse. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Peschl
admitted to investigators that he shot the boy, the criminal complaint said. Peschl said he was trying to watch TV in his
home in the southern Wisconsin town of Oregon but the boy was blocking his view and didn't move out of the way when asked to do so.
Peschl said he
happened to be holding a BB gun, and he aimed at his son's left rear pocket because he thought that would be more padded,
the complaint said.
"The defendant stated that the round hit (the 9-year-old) in the buttocks and he jumped
somewhat and moved away from the TV," the complaint said.
Peschl told The Associated Press on Saturday evening
he did fire the gun, but it was only "horseplay" and "a dumb mistake."
"It was not out
of violence or anger or hatred. It was not a disciplinary action," he said. "It was horseplay. That's all I
can say. It was not with any evil intent."
The shooting left a welt about the size of a dime, the complaint
quoted a 17-year-old brother as saying.
The 9-year-old "yelped and yelled ouch or 'aagh' and began
running around holding his butt," the teen said.
Peschl told AP he felt instant regret.
"I
knew right away it was a stupid thing I did," he said. "I told my kids the only way I'm going to touch them
is to kiss them, hug them, tickle them. I was very, I was not under the influence of anything. It was a very stupid decision."
He was released Friday on a signature bond and ordered not to threaten or engage in any acts of violence against
his son. He was also ordered not to engage in physical discipline of any child.
He also has a 6-year-old son.
Peschl said he hadn't seen the essay his 9-year-old wrote, but from what police told him he suspected it might
have included embellishments.
"It doesn't really seem like the terminology my son would use unless he
was being helped write an essay," he said. "I don't know if a teacher was helping him and being, you know, elaborate
in the storytelling."
Peschl was previously charged with child abuse in 2005. He was placed into the Deferred
Prosecution program, which he successfully completed.
He declined to discuss the previous charge except to say
that underwent anger-management and family counseling that helped him settle down.
"I love these boys more
than anything in the world. My wife, my family are the most important thing in the world," he said. "This, it was
a very dumb mistake."
Charges filed against man who
killed family's six pets
| By Alyssa Waters | | Leader-Telegram staff | CHIPPEWA FALLS - A Boyd man who allegedly shot two dogs and four cats while six children were forced to listen has been charged with four
felonies and four misdemeanors. Raymond E. Knez Jr., 33, 1411 Highway D, has been charged with one felony count of first-degree reckless endangerment, three felony counts of
mental harm to a child, one misdemeanor count of possession of a firearm while intoxicated and three misdemeanor counts of
mistreating animals. According to the criminal complaint: The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department was called to the home for a welfare check on children there. A deputy responded and made contact outside the home with a
10-year-old who said Knez shot two dogs and four cats. The deputy made contact with Knez and placed him under arrest.
Knez showed the deputy a .280 scoped rifle and told authorities that he had used the firearm in the shootings. Knez
said the first dog died Jan. 27 in a fight with the other family dogs. Knez's girlfriend was upset with the remaining
dogs so he told her he would take the dogs to the pound or the vet, or that he would shoot them. Throughout the night, Knez
traveled to a local tavern and admitted consuming 26 to 29 cans of beer. While talking to other bar patrons, Knez determined
he could legally shoot his animals. He returned to the residence at about 5:30 a.m., went outside where he shot the
"black dog." He then decided to shoot the child's dog by stepping on it in the hallway of the home and shooting
the animal. Then he walked throughout the residence hunting for the cats. Six children were awake and inside the home
during the shootings. Knez shot one of the cats by stepping on it and pinning it to the floor. He held one cat in his left
hand and fired the rifle with his right hand. If convicted on all counts, Knez could face $70,000 in fines and more
than 25 years in prison. |
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Baraboo:
The father of infant twins found dead Sunday night has now been charged with their murders. According to the criminal
complaint the twins died from non-accidental multiple acute blunt force traumas. Police now say the 5 week old twins Savannah
and Tyler were staying with their father David Yates last weekend. When their mother -Susan Winbun- came to pick them
up on Sunday no one answered the door at Yates' home. Eventually the mother called police and they entered the condo through
the patio door. The criminal complaint says inside they found David Yates lying on his bed. At first Yates told police
he had dropped the twins off at a friend's homebut then Yates was removed from the condo and police began looking for
the children. The officer saw a single infant foot sticking out from under the dust ruffle on Yates' bed. The complaint
says the babies were nearly stacked on top of each other under the bed. They were both dead. According to the
preliminary autopsy Savannah and Tyler each suffered blunt force brain injuries, with multiple bruises all over their heads
and scrapes all over their bodies. In addition, Savannah suffered a skulll fracture and Tyler suffered a broken foot. Paul
Polacek is the attorney for David Yates. He is concerned Yates is not getting his proper medication. Polacek would not say
what medication Yates should be on, but he says it is for behavioral issues. Yates has been in custody since Sunday
night and Polacek says he doesn't think Yates received his medication either in the hospital or now that he's been
transferred to the county jail. Polacek says he wants to know if the medication was withheld by police in the hopes
of getting an incriminating statement. He says if that's the case he would hope to get those statements thrown out in
court. Polacek would not comment on the details of the case, but we asked him how his client was doing. "That depends
on what you're asking. Physically-not good. Emotionally-not good. Psychologically-even worse." Polacek says
he will be filing a motion Thursday to have the court order the police department to put David Yates back on his medication. Yates
is expected to be in Sauk County Court Thursday for a bail hearing. ____________________________________________________ UPDATE
Posted Wednesday, April 16 --- 5:30pm BARABOO, Wis. (AP) -- The father of 5-week-old twins found dead in his home has
been accused of killing them. A criminal complaint filed today in Sauk County Circuit Court charges 45-year-old David
R. Yates of Baraboo with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of twins Savannah and Tyler Yates. The
complaint says the babies suffered brain and other head injuries. The complaint says the babies were found dead at their
father's home Sunday after police were called by the twins' mother because she had gone to the home to pick up the
children and no one responded. The babies had been at the home since Friday. The complaint says officers entered the
home, found Yates in bed and then found the babies dead underneath it. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights
Reserved. ____________________________________________________ UPDATE Posted Wednesday, April 16 --- 4:15pm Baraboo
Police have arrested David R. Yates in connection with the deaths of five-week old infants Savannah and Tyler Yates. Yates
has been charged with the following:
Count One: First Degree Intentional Homicide of Tyler Yates
Count Two: First
Degree Intentional Homicide of Savannah Yates This case remains under active investigation by the Baraboo Police Department
in conjunction with the Sauk County Coroners Office, State of Wisconsin Crime Lab and Sauk County District Attorney's
Office. ____________________________________________________ UPDATE Posted Wednesday, April 16 --- 9:10am NBC15
has learned David Yates, that father of the twins, was taken to Sauk County Jail on a probation hold after spending two nights
under police guard at St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo. ____________________________________________________ BARABOO,
Wis. (AP) -- An investigators says the deaths of 5-week-old twins being cared for by their father are being investigated as
potential homicides based on the autopsies. Baraboo Police Department Lt. Rob Sinden says the autopsies of Savannah
and Tyler Yates are not complete but the preliminary findings suggest they may have been murdered. He declined to elaborate. Officers
who went to the home Sunday found the babies dead and their father, 45-year-old David R. Yates, in bed. Sinden says
Yates remains hospitalized Tuesday and in police custody on probation violations. He would not say why Yates was taken to
the hospital. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. |
|  | |
BARABOO, Wis. (AP) -- The father
of 5-week-old twins found dead in his home has been accused of killing them. A
criminal complaint filed today in Sauk County Circuit Court charges 45-year-old David R. Yates of Baraboo with two counts
of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of twins Savannah and Tyler Yates. The complaint says the babies
suffered brain and other head injuries. The complaint says the babies were found dead at their father's
home Sunday after police were called by the twins' mother because she had gone to the home to pick up the children and
no one responded. The babies had been at the home since Friday. The complaint says officers entered the home, found
Yates in bed and then found the babies dead underneath it.
Germantown
woman gets jail, probation in child abuse caseThe
Reporter Staff • February 3,2009 JUNEAU — A 33-year-old former Lomira
resident accused of battering an 11-year-old boy during a drunken rage will spend time in jail.
During sentencing
Tuesday afternoon in Dodge County Circuit Court, Kerri Roberts, now of Germantown, was sentenced to 30 days in jail followed
by 18 months probation.
Roberts was convicted on one count of physical abuse of a child — intentionally causing
bodily harm.
Judge Steven Bauer also ordered that Roberts attend counseling, have no violent contact with anyone
and maintain absolute sobriety.
The child told investigators that the woman, who was intoxicated at the time, became
angry with him after returning home from fishing.
The boy said the woman punched him with a closed fish and slapped
him several times in the face and about his head. The child also stated that Roberts punched him in the stomach and ribs,
according to the criminal complaint.
Todd Richmond | The Associated
Press - July 4, 2008
A member of a gang of drifters once based in Sanford, who was accused of helping kill another woman in
the group and torturing the dead woman's son, pleaded no contest Thursday to reckless homicide.
Candace Clark,
24, also pleaded guilty to child abuse and other charges as part of a plea deal announced in Columbia County, Wis. Her trial
had been scheduled for Monday.
Police found Tammie Garlin, 36, buried behind the gang's rented house in Portage,
Wis., 40 miles north of Madison, in June 2007. Her 11-year-old son was found in a closet, naked and severely abused.
Investigators said Clark and her boyfriend, Michael Sisk, led a band of scam artists that traveled the country.
Garlin, her son and her daughter were part of the gang, which left Sanford in late 2006. The group tortured
the boy for bad behavior and at some point turned on Garlin and murdered her, according to a criminal complaint.
Sisk is scheduled to go on trial next month.
Investigators searching for Clark's missing 2-year-old daughter,
whom they thought Clark had abducted from Florida foster parents, tracked the gang to Portage.
Police found the girl at the house, as well as Garlin's body
buried in the back yard and her son locked in the closet.
Doctors had to amputate several of the boy's fingertips
and three of his toes because they were burned so badly.
Garlin's death and the boy's suffering spurred
the Florida Department of Children and Families to reform its system for tracking missing children.
Clark told
reporters in jailhouse interviews last year that the boy deserved to be punished severely because he acted so badly.
She denied killing Garlin, but said Sisk and another member of the gang, Michaela Clerc, Garlin's former lover, turned
on her. They were angry after Garlin admitted to having sexual fantasies about Clark.
Columbia County District
Attorney Jane Kohlwey dropped charges against Clerc of homicide and hiding a corpse, saying she couldn't prove Clerc had
a role in Garlin's death. Clerc, 21, later pleaded no contest to child-abuse charges.
Garlin's 16-year-old
daughter, Felicia, was being prosecuted as a juvenile in the case.
Report on Winnebago
County mom who murdered son releasedGannett Wisconsin Media • May 30, 2008 APPLETON — An Outagamie County child protection investigation
determined that Brenda Thiel’s children weren’t in danger less than a month before 2½-year-old Caleb Thiel’s
death.
The county’s Health and Human Services Department today issued a written summary of its investigation of
Brenda Thiel. According to the county, Thiel and the children were living in separate homes at the time of its April 10 investigation
into a report that Thiel had expressed thoughts of harming her children.
Thiel, 27, is charged with first-degree
intentional homicide in Winnebago County in connection to the May 5 death of her son. Thiel suffocated the child at their
home on Adams Street in Neenah, according to the criminal complaint. She then told her mother what she had done, and her mother
called police.
Thiel heard voices telling her to harm the child for days prior to Caleb’s suffocation, according
to a search warrant affidavit.
Outagamie County investigated Thiel on April 10 based on a referral from Winnebago
County.
Winnebago County referred the case because Thiel was one of its employees.
A caller contacted
Winnebago County on March 31. The caller, when interviewed by an Outagamie County official, said that the children were living
with Thiel’s father and stepmother while Thiel was living with her mother. Thiel had no unsupervised visits with the
children, the caller said.
“Given that conclusion, a child protection supervisor ‘screened out’
the referral as not needing any further investigation,” the document states.
Thiel moved back with her children
on April 27, according to the summary.
The Health and Human Services Department received no further contact about
the Thiels until after Caleb’s death, they report.
According to the summary, the Thiel family had not received
Outagamie County services in the past, nor had the county heard any complaints or reports of child abuse prior to the April
10 investigation.
Brenda Thiel is being held in the Winnebago County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond.
| Rest in Peace |
|
Deaths of 6 appear to be murder-suicide
Children's uncle escaped, 911 recording reveals
Posted: June 12, 2007
Evidence at the scene of a grisly slaying in Delavan suggests that the deaths of six people, including twin baby boys,
was a murder-suicide involving the children's parents, authorities said Monday afternoon.
Investigators were still waiting Monday for findings from autopsies, DNA evidence
and ballistics testing, and while officials have not ruled anything out, it appears five people were gunned down Saturday
night before their killer committed suicide.
The Delavan Police Department, state Department of Justice and Walworth County district attorney's office did not release
details of the crime, didn't discuss a motive and did not reveal what kind of firearm was used in the slayings.
The dead were identified as Nicole Marie McAffee, 19; her twin infant sons, Argenis and Isaiah Analco; her sister, Ashley
Lynn Huerta, 21; and Huerta's friend Vanessa Iverson, 19. All are believed to have been shot by Amborosio Analco, 23, who
apparently then took his own life.
Analco was McAffee's ex-boyfriend, police said. Court records identify him as the father of the twins, who were born Dec.
12, and a 1 1/2 -year-old girl, Jasmine, who was also shot but survived.
Analco's cousin, Marco Pastrana, said Sunday that Analco had been at his house with the three children Saturday night and
left about 9 p.m. to return them to their mother.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots, or what some thought were firecrackers, around 10:30 p.m. in the home in the 300 block
of S. 2nd St. Police sent to the scene found the dead inside the home.
Jasmine Analco, who turns 2 in October, was discovered in a nearby van, critically wounded from a gunshot to the chest.
She was taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, where she was in good condition Monday, said Delavan Police
Chief Timothy O'Neill.
On a 911 recording released Monday afternoon, Gaspar Huerta, 27, who lived in the home with his wife and McAffee, tells
a dispatcher that he escaped by the roof when Analco turned up and "started shooting everybody."
At a short news briefing authorities held Monday in a Delavan Common Council conference room, Several relatives of the
victims gathered to hear the scant information. Afterward, an aunt of McAffee and Huerta said her family was devastated.
"The pain is overwhelming," said Karen "Dee Dee" Sittler, who lives in Elkhorn. "This will leave a huge void in our lives.
It is overwhelming to lose four family members in one night."
Gaspar Huerta's older brother, Victor, said Monday afternoon that his brother jumped out a window when he heard gunshots.
Investigators were searching the roof of the duplex Monday for evidence.
"He's been crying a lot, and he's very depressed," Victor Huerta said of his brother.
Victor Huerta, 34, said McAffee and Ashley Huerta told him Saturday night that Analco had threatened McAffee and told her
that if he caught her with another man he would kill her and their children. Victor Huerta said Analco had previously threatened
McAffee, and the sisters were worried because Analco had a gun.
Those touched by the tragedy added Monday morning to an impromptu memorial around a tree in front of the house with wreaths,
stuffed animals, photos of Iverson and signs.
On Iverson's MySpace.com page, she wrote that she was the proud parent of a "beautiful little girl and handsome little
boy" who enjoyed spending time with her children, singing, shooting pool and hanging out with her friends and family. She
was visiting Huerta when she was shot to death, her mother, Kay Macara, said Sunday.
The two-story house where the killings occurred is in a quiet neighborhood only two blocks from the police department in
Delavan, a city of about 8,000 in central Walworth County about 40 miles southwest of Milwaukee. McAffee lived in the house
with her children, her sister and her husband.
According to online Wisconsin court records, Analco had only minor brushes with law enforcement, including tickets for
speeding in 2002, driving with a suspended license in 2005 and driving without a valid license in 2006. In 2005 he was the
subject of a child support action McAffee initiated in Walworth County.
In that case, a judge ordered but stayed a six-month jail sentence for Analco on March 16 for failing to pay child support.
He was ordered to pay $442 per month for all three children but owed about $4,100 in birth expenses for Jasmine, according
to court records.
Analco's first name is spelled three ways in court records: Ambrosio, Argenis and Aguenis. Walworth County District Attorney
Phil Koss said Analco, who was born in Mexico, had a Social Security card, but Koss did not know if he was a U.S. citizen.
The slayings and suicide fit the profile of what the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center calls a "family annihilator"
- someone who kills his wife or girlfriend and children as well as other family members before killing himself.
A study of reported murder-suicides in 2005 by the Violence Policy Center showed that 94% of the offenders were male and
92% involved a firearm, while three-quarters of murder-suicides occur in the home. The center estimates that 1,200 people
are killed each year in murder-suicides.
"Family annihilators" often feel overwhelmed by financial or domestic problems and decide to commit suicide, said Kristen
Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center, "and the thought process is, 'I can't leave my family, they're better
off dead with me.' "
"A lot of times it might not appear to neighbors or other family members that the stress would be that great," Rand added.
"Oftentimes people say, 'Oh, I can't believe this would happen.' But it's how that person perceives the problem."
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