JOSH NEWTON Nov 21, 2011,
A Tahlequah mother is accused of shaking her 8-week-old son, which doctors believe led to cranial bleeding.
Cherokee County prosecutors on Friday filed felony child abuse charges against Helen Marie Terrell, 29, of Tahlequah. Terrell and the baby’s father took the boy to a Tahlequah hospital because he was vomiting and not eating, an affidavit says.
A doctor determined the boy had symptoms of shaken-baby syndrome, with visible signs, and that he should be taken to a Tulsa hospital. Child welfare representatives were notified.
Last Thursday, investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office visited with Terrell, who said she’d picked the boy up and she believed she had shaken him “a little bit.”
After a lengthier discussion with the investigator, Terrell allegedly admitted she’d shaken the child on two occasions – once for about five seconds, and again on Nov. 8 for about 10 seconds.
The father of the child, she said, was sleeping or in another room when she shook the baby. Terrell allegedly told authorities she was angry, frustrated, tired and stressed, and the baby was crying.
A neurosurgeon’s report says the baby was treated for “extracerebral fluid collections, consistent with chronic and acute subdural hematoma,” according to the affidavit.
Court records show probable cause was issued for a warrantless arrest of Terrell Thursday, and bond was set at $75,000. Her initial appearance has been scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Cherokee County Courthouse.
Cherokee County prosecutors on Friday filed felony child abuse charges against Helen Marie Terrell, 29, of Tahlequah. Terrell and the baby’s father took the boy to a Tahlequah hospital because he was vomiting and not eating, an affidavit says.
A doctor determined the boy had symptoms of shaken-baby syndrome, with visible signs, and that he should be taken to a Tulsa hospital. Child welfare representatives were notified.
Last Thursday, investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office visited with Terrell, who said she’d picked the boy up and she believed she had shaken him “a little bit.”
After a lengthier discussion with the investigator, Terrell allegedly admitted she’d shaken the child on two occasions – once for about five seconds, and again on Nov. 8 for about 10 seconds.
The father of the child, she said, was sleeping or in another room when she shook the baby. Terrell allegedly told authorities she was angry, frustrated, tired and stressed, and the baby was crying.
A neurosurgeon’s report says the baby was treated for “extracerebral fluid collections, consistent with chronic and acute subdural hematoma,” according to the affidavit.
Court records show probable cause was issued for a warrantless arrest of Terrell Thursday, and bond was set at $75,000. Her initial appearance has been scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Cherokee County Courthouse.
