A couple in Tulsa was taken into custody for child abuse on Tuesday.
On September 18, Tulsa Police responded to a call from Saint Francis Hospital after DHS reported a 3-year-old exhibiting significant bruising indicative of potential child abuse. The authorities arrested the following individuals:
- Ryllie James Gage, 26, faces two charges related to child abuse by injury.
- Christina Richerson, 27, faces charges for enabling child abuse through injury.
According to the affidavit, Gage, who is Richerson’s boyfriend, resided with Richerson and the child in an apartment located in west Tulsa.
The affidavit reported that the child had significant bruising on his face, head, neck, ears, and buttocks. A pediatrician with expertise in child abuse has verified that the injuries align with signs of physical child abuse.
The affidavit reveals that Gage admitted to losing his temper with the child due to the persistent crying. He confessed to striking the child several times on the face and head, as well as spanking the child’s bottom repeatedly. The man reported to authorities that the child kept screaming and crying while he was striking him. This happened at the west Tulsa apartment on September 16.
Gage informed the authorities that he had harmed the child in the past, explaining that the child was running around the apartment, which led him to deliberately trip the child, resulting in a fall, according to the affidavit. The child fell and, unable to brace himself in time, his nose struck the ground, resulting in a bleed and bruising appearing under his eyes.
Gage informed Tulsa Police that he explained to Richerson that the child had fallen accidentally and that there were photographs of the injury. Authorities discovered images of the child showing a nose injury and bruising beneath his eyes, aligning with Gage’s account, on Richerson’s mobile device. The pictures were dated May 29, according to the affidavit.
An affidavit reveals that Richerson informed police she noticed the child’s bruises on the evening of September 16, and observed them becoming darker the following morning before taking him to daycare.
Richerson informed law enforcement Gage explained that the bruises resulted from a tumble on the playground.
Court documents reveal that police found Gage and Richerson deliberately harmed the 3-year-old child on at least two separate occasions.
On Tuesday, Gage and Richerson were taken into custody and placed in the Tulsa County Jail.
Reference: Tulsa couple arrested for child abuse