An Ohio mother is in jail after her 9-month-old baby was found with serious injuries, including broken bones, a black eye, and other unexplained wounds. Authorities say the injuries happened over several days, pointing to more than just a one-time incident.
The trouble started when Scioto County Sheriff’s deputies were called to help Child Services and New Boston Police Department on Friday evening. Paramedics had rushed the baby to Southern Ohio Medical Center, but the child’s condition was so severe that they were transferred about 90 miles north to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. There, a specialized team of child abuse experts examined the baby.
Investigators then went to the home on Rhodes Avenue in New Boston to talk to the child’s mother, 30-year-old Kayla Siearra Williams, and others who lived there. On Saturday, after doctors shared their findings, detectives brought Williams in for further questioning.
Authorities discovered that the baby’s injuries had occurred over a period of time, with the oldest injury being about 10 days old and the most recent around four days before the interview. Even more troubling, investigators learned that earlier on Friday, Williams had taken the baby to King’s Daughter Medical Center. Doctors there told her to take the child immediately to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus for urgent care.
But Williams never showed up. Instead, hospital staff alerted Child Services, which kicked off the investigation that eventually led to her arrest.
The sheriff’s office hasn’t shared exactly how the baby got hurt, and they didn’t reveal whether the baby is a boy or girl. Two other children who lived in the home were also removed for their safety.
Kayla Williams now faces serious charges, including two counts of second-degree child endangerment and five counts of third-degree child endangerment. She’s being held in the Scioto County Jail on a $350,000 bond. In her mugshot, she’s seen smirking, adding to the shock surrounding this heartbreaking case.
