A mother and her partner are in legal trouble following allegations of severe abuse against two young children, which resulted in hospitalization.
On November 5, two young children, aged 2 and 3, were present at UPMC Children’s Hospital, according to the criminal complaint. Haley Province brought them in.
The report indicated that the 2-year-old suffered multiple fractures, including several in his leg, along with fractures in his hand, two in his arms, one in his shoulder, and a rib fracture. He sustained several cuts and bruises with clear borders, experienced cell death across his brain, and showed a positive result for cocaine use.
A 3-year-old suffered fractures in both collarbones, a rib, and sustained a neck injury.
The report indicated that the injuries varied in healing stages, from one week to approximately three months. Medical professionals indicated that the signs of child abuse are intrinsic and cannot occur by chance.
A woman informed detectives that she and her partner, Bobby Bender, have recently settled into a house in Rankin. A week earlier, she mentioned that she had gone to the store, leaving her children in Bender’s care. Upon arriving home, she observed that the 2-year-old was unable to stand up. The following day, he refused to stand, couldn’t put any weight on his right leg, and cried when Province attempted to help him up.
The complaint stated that Province claimed not to have witnessed Bender striking her children, but acknowledged observing bruises on them after leaving them in his care.
The province reported that she admitted to using cocaine but claimed to have been clean for one or two months, according to the complaint. Authorities discovered suspected cocaine residue in the home while executing a search warrant, indicating that Bender and Province may have been involved in drug sales.
Bender informed the authorities that he supervised the children for a few hours every Friday while Province attended medical appointments. He mentioned using cocaine but stated he had been sober for about two weeks and did not have it near the children.
Both Province and Bender face multiple charges, including six counts of aggravated assault, two counts related to endangering children’s welfare, and one count of criminal conspiracy.