Jonesboro Mother Faces Battery Charge Following Injuries to Six-Month-Old

JONESBORO, Ark. — A mother is facing a felony battery charge after injuries were reported to a six-month-old that doctors said could only have come from a car accident or physical abuse.

The probable cause affidavit began on July 10, when Sgt. Bill Brown with the Jonesboro Police Department received a complaint referencing a six-month-old male taken to St. Bernards ER and later transferred to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

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Sgt. Brown interviewed the parents, both of whom had little explanation for the injuries to the child. The seizures apparently always happened when the father was away from home. Both parents agreed to speak with the detective after he had a chance to follow up with the doctor.

The doctor reported the baby had mixed bleeding on the right and left side of the brain, micro bruising on the front and back of the brain, fractured humerus, and a possibly fractured femur. There were also healing fractures the child had suffered. When asked, the doctor said injuries like this could only have been caused by a bad car accident or physical abuse. The child was not reported to have been in an automobile accident.

The detective attempted to contact the parents again for an interview. He spoke with the mother on the phone but after this, he could not get back in touch with them.

Finally, on Nov. 2, the sergeant spoke with the father for the second interview. He apologized for taking so long to get back with police and said he had moved away from his wife since then. He stated every injury happened when he was not present. The father said he had a hard time suspecting the mother, but he went on to say that he was worried his child might end up dead.

The father said the baby would be happy when he held it – but the child would cry when the mother held it, so she just put it down. He stated she would describe the baby as a “sack of flour” and there was more of an emotional connection between her and the dog than her child. The detective also noted she had referred to the child as a “potato.”

Ryanne Elizabeth Foster, 19, of Jonesboro, was arrested on Nov. 4 for second-degree battery, a Class D felony. Bail was set at $50,000 cash or surety.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.