Two Indianola women are behind bars at the Sunflower County jail charged with felony child abuse.
A $100,000 bond has been set for Tequila Nicole Monger 31, 300 Alexander Ave., and 43 year-old Theresa Ann Jacobs of 413 Gray Street.
Monger was arrested on Monday afternoon, and Jacobs was brought in Tuesday morning. According to police investigator Regina Simpson, both had their initial appearance before Judge Kuykendall Murry and are scheduled to have their preliminary hearing on July 10 in municipal court.
Simpson said the incident involving Monger’s child took place on or about May 9, after the child fled the home and went to a nearby relative’s house. The unidentified relative allegedly noticed the child in distress and called police.
Law enforcement officials then contacted the Department of Human Services who conducted an investigation and reportedly removed the child from the home.
Sgt. Irish Johnson, police information officer, said on Wednesday that the parent initially said she attempted to discipline the child by hitting him with an open hand because he skipped school, but he stated he was too grown up for a whipping and ran away to the family member’s house.
Simpson said the case was assigned to her last week after DHS completed its investigation because they apparently found old and new bruising. According to her, she has interviewed both subjects and in light of the DHS findings, they supposedly admitted to whipping the child with an extension cord.
Simpson said the case is still under investigation and she is interviewing the officers who responded to the home in May and others.
Based on the uniform bond recommendations that were revised in July 2017, the judge issued the maximum bond recommendation and the two could get up to 20 years in prison.
