Suspicions by personnel at Northern Hospital of Surry County have led to felony child abuse charges against two people involving a 1-year-old.
Katie Danielle Cribb, 24, of Winston-Salem, and Kenneth Dewayne Crowell II, 20, of Mount Airy, were arrested after a lengthy investigation, according to Capt. Alan Freeman of the Mount Airy Police Department.
The investigation resulted from staff members at the hospital observing what they termed “questionable injuries” to the child during a visit to NHSC earlier this month.
City police responded to the hospital to look into the matter and turned their focus to Cribb, identified by Freeman as the mother of the 1-year-old, and Crowell, who is said to be the boyfriend of Cribb but not the child’s father.
The investigation culminated with each being charged with felony intentional child abuse causing serious physical injury and felony child neglect causing serious physical injury.
Police have not specified the injuries caused, but they did not result in a prolonged hospitalization. “The child was treated and released from the hospital,” said Freeman, who was unable to say if the victim is male or female.
Although the observations were made at the hospital earlier this month, it took some time to formulate charges against the couple, the police captain said. That included conferring with the Surry County District’s Attorney’s Office on the case.
Warrants then were issued against Cribb and Crowell. “He turned himself in yesterday to the police department,” Freeman said Thursday of Crowell.
At last report, both people were being held in the Surry County Jail. A $15,000 secured bond was set for Cribb, while Crowell was incarcerated under a $5,000 secured bond.
A court appearance is scheduled Tuesday in the case.
Growing Problem
The announcement of child abuse and neglect charges against Cribb and Crowell is coming on the heels of another recent case involving the death of a 5-month-old girl on Nov. 16.
Billie Jo Floyd, 30, of 346 Austin Drive, and Justin Wayne Barker, 32, of 456 Poteat Road, were charged with second-degree murder after the infant died of mysterious circumstances. Emergency personnel were dispatched to Barker’s home, where the child was said to be suffering cardiac arrest.
Freeman said Thursday that such incidents are on the rise — in Surry County as well as elsewhere in the nation.
“It’s unbelievable how much it’s increased in the last year,” the police captain said concerning local cases of child abuse as well as cyber crimes perpetrated against youths.
Freeman, a longtime member of the city police department, added that the situation is the worst he’s seen here during his law enforcement career.
Reach Tom Joyce at 719-1924 or tjoyce@heartlandpublications.com.
Happy trolling.