BR couple booked on counts of cruelty to juvenile

A Baton Rouge couple has been booked into Parish Prison on counts of cruelty to juveniles after doctors discovered multiple bone fractures and cigarette burns on a 1-year-old boy Saturday morning, a police spokesman said.

Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said doctors who treated the boy after his mother awoke in a hotel room Saturday to find him not breathing discovered the fractures and burns when they examined the child.

McKneely said the child’s mother, Amy Hayes, 19, 3418 Dalton St., told police that her boyfriend, Brandon Johnson, 19, 4314 E. Merrydale Court, abused the child and that she knew about it but was afraid to say anything.

Hayes told detectives that she and Johnson got into an argument at the Microtel Hotel at 10311 Plaza Americana at 3 a.m. Saturday, McKneely said. She said that when she threatened to leave with the child, Johnson grabbed the boy from her arms, McKneely said.

Hayes told police that when Johnson grabbed the child, his head hit the couch, McKneely said. She also told police Johnson shook the boy when he would not stop crying, McKneely said. Johnson denied all of Hayes’ allegations, McKneely said.

The police spokesman said Hayes also told police she had been held against her will at the hotel.

Police booked Johnson into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on one count each of false imprisonment and second-degree cruelty to juveniles. Hayes was booked on one count of second-degree cruelty to juveniles.

Comments

1) Comment by kc8848 - 17/11/2012

The article quotes the mother being 19 years old and the child 11 years old. Anyone else see the other crime here? She was 9 years old when she had this child....that poor baby NEVER stood a chance...adoption would have served that child better. Unless I am missing something about the ages here, there is SO MUCH wrong with this picture. I hope the boy is removed from that "family" and is taken care of the way he should be. What a shame...where was CPS when this child was born to a 9 year old?

2) Comment by CitizensArrest - 15/11/2012

So much failure here. Check out their Facebook pages. Solid citizens. Why are they in a hotel...with a baby? She seems like a very good mother...

3) Comment by ebbette - 15/11/2012

The sad thing is the number of parents that hurt young children that aren't held accountable. My 4 year old granddaughter indicated in front of me, her mother, and the other grandmother that her step-mother is hitting her in the head yet Child Protective Services couldn't get my granddaughter to speak because she was scared (the worker told this to me and said she tried twice) and I had told her that if she's scared, she will shut down verbally but she may get non-verbal signals from her. So yes, I believe many more children are hurt and their spirits broken than we can imagine. Not just sad but pathetic especially when the other grandmother, who says she loves the child, denies what the child indicated. I believe her - not only do I know her well enough to know she doesn't lie, I know 4 year old children are not "natural liars".

4) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 15/11/2012

... and would you believe it? The government was rewarding them with money every month for this child. Amazing.

5) Comment by tradewinns - 14/11/2012

how much of this kind of thing happens? this is the second case of PARENTS torturing their children in what, a month! both set of parents have admitted they did it so a trial is superfluous. have a public esecution next month and dispatch both couples. that would set a standard that will make a difference immediately!!!!!!!!!!!!