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\nA Warren County grand jury indicted a woman last week in relation to an alleged crime where three children were abused.<\/p>\n
\nA Warren County grand jury indicted a woman last week in relation to an alleged crime where three children were abused.<\/p>\n
The indictment names 34 year-old Melinda S. Smith as the defendant. The allegations stem from an arrest December 30, 2022, at an apartment along Cabell Drive. She now faces three counts of first degree criminal abuse.<\/p>\n
Two juveniles told a postal worker in the area of Meredith Drive that their mother is physically abusive and asked her to call police.<\/p>\n
Police responded and noted how two juveniles, ages 10 and 8, were \u201cshaking and crying hysterically while wearing backpacks and carrying pillows,\u201d according to an arrest citation.<\/p>\n
The children told police they had jumped from their bedroom window with their belongings to seek help for themselves and a sibling at home. They put the plan together while Smith was still asleep.<\/p>\n
They said they tried to get their 5-year-old brother to escape with them but he was too scared of what would happen if they get caught, the officer wrote in the citation.<\/p>\n
The juveniles told police Smith often would hang the 5-year-old upside down by his ankles for punishment. They also allege Smith would grab them by the neck, choke them to the point they could not breathe and smack them while she was pregnant.<\/p>\n
The children apparently called police at least once before about a year ago. One of the children said their mother made them stand outside while it was snowing for an hour as a punishment for calling the police.<\/p>\n
One of the children told police she is often responsible for cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner for everyone. She also cleans the house and gets disciplined when she doesn\u2019t, the citation said.<\/p>\n
When police went to the home they said Smith was shocked and had no clue the children had ran away. She also denied ever spanking her children.<\/p>\n
There were no sheets or blankets on the bed and dog feces scattered across the floor, the officer described in the citation narrative.<\/p>\n
Child Protective Services told police they already had an active case pertaining to Smith due to reports of abuse in the home. The biological father of the children told police he has been trying to get full custody of the children through family court.<\/p>\n
He said the children have made these statements to him and officials in their school, however, nothing is ever done and the abuse gets worse.<\/p>\n
Police charged Smith with first degree criminal abuse of a child (12 or under) after the father took the children to see a doctor when he was given custody of them. There was noticeable finger markings on the child.<\/p>\n
The other children told authorities Smith had made them hold the 5-year-old child\u2019s hands down while she hit him with an open hand multiple times. The child is also noted to be autistic.<\/p>\n
Smith is scheduled to be arraigned in Warren County on September 5 at 1 p.m. She will then either plead guilty or not guilty.
\nSource: WBKO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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