Tag Archives: child abuse

3-year-old badly beaten on Father’s Day

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Three-year-old Cameron Cleeton had to be in a partial body cast after his mother’s boyfriend badly beat him on Father’s Day in June 2007. I was invited to Cameron’s grandmother’s home, where the boy was staying, to talk about how he was doing and how the family was coping. They mentioned how the Cameron had been looking forward to going to an upcoming monster truck rally in town but now they weren’t sure they would be able to go because of his injuries and mobility issues.

SJ-R readers came through again with offers of help, and the organizers of the monster truck rally arranged for Cameron to meet the driver of his favorite truck, “Grave Digger.”

Stepfather allegedly beats 3-year-old boy / Child undergoes surgery, has broken leg, cuts
June 19, 2007

A 3-year-old boy was hospitalized Sunday night with a broken leg, bruises and cuts after his stepfather allegedly beat him on Father’s Day.

The boy required surgery Monday, and his condition was unknown late in the day.

Jessie S. Fishburn, 20, of the 3200 block of East Enos Avenue was in Sangamon County Jail, charged with aggravated battery to a child. Bond was set Monday at $75,000.

The incident happened between 9:30 and 10 p.m. Sunday at the family’s mobile home on East Enos Avenue. Authorities were sent to St. John’s Hospital about 10 p.m. after emergency room workers notified them a boy there had injuries consistent with child abuse.

The boy suffered a broken left thighbone, bruising and red marks over most of his body and a cut above one ear.

The boy’s mother was not involved and was not at home at the time, authorities said. One other child lives in the home but apparently was not injured.

Sangamon County sheriff’s Capt. Jack Campbell said investigators were not releasing details about the alleged abuse, including with what the boy was beaten, how many times he was hit and who took him to the hospital.

Campbell said Fishburn was “cooperative” with the investigation.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services also is investigating. An agency spokesman said Monday caseworkers had no prior contact with the family.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the thighbone is the largest and strongest bone in the body. Common causes of child femur fractures include falling on the playground, taking a hit in contact sports, being in a car crash or child abuse.

Fishburn’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 5. Aggravated battery to a child is a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison.

Fishburn is on a parole hold from the Illinois Department of Corrections, meaning that even if he posts bail he cannot be released from jail. He was paroled May 16, 2006, after being sentenced to three years in prison for illegal use of a weapon and possession of a stolen firearm in 2005 in Sangamon County.

He also was arrested in 2004 for vehicular endangerment.

Beaten toddler in partial body cast
June 21, 2007

The 3-year-old boy who allegedly was battered by his mother’s boyfriend on Father’s Day is in a partial body cast to repair the broken thighbone he suffered, his grandmother said Wednesday.

Cameron Cleeton-Wilson has a lingering footprint on his right thigh, bruises on his buttocks and a cut over his ear that is healing, according to his grandmother, Shirley Holloway, of Springfield.

The boy’s cast extends from his right foot to just above his belly button, and he is living at his grandparents’ home while he recovers, she said. His mother works and has another child to care for, and the Holloways are stepping in to help.

“He’s mostly in bed,” she said. “He can’t put any pressure on his leg or anything. I have to give him a sponge bath because he can’t take a bath. He can’t stand up.”

While Cameron is on the road to physical recovery, he has mental scars that must heal, too.

“He has dreams and cries in the middle of the night. He’ll say, ‘Don’t make me go back to the trailer, Grandma,’” Holloway said, her voice cracking with emotion. “I’ve just been trying to keep him comfortable, letting him watch cartoons, trying to get his mind off his leg.”

Cameron was rushed to St. John’s Hospital on Sunday night after his injuries were discovered. The alleged abuse happened between 9:30 and 10 p.m. at the family’s mobile home in the 3200 block of East Enos Avenue.

He was at home with his mother’s boyfriend, Jessie S. Fishburn, 20, while she was at work, authorities said. Emergency room workers notified authorities after determining Cameron’s injuries were consistent with child abuse.

Detectives at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office will not say specifically what they believe transpired, but they arrested Fishburn, and he has been charged with aggravated battery to a child. His bond was set at $75,000, but even if he posts bail, he cannot be released from jail because of a parole hold. His preliminary hearing is set for July 5.

Members of Fishburn’s family said Wednesday he is on suicide watch at the jail.

His mother, Kim Uhrin, who lives out of state, said in an e-mail to The State Journal-Register that Fishburn did not break the child’s leg and that “those kids are his world and it is hurting him so bad to know his son is hurt.”

Cameron’s 1-year-old half sister also lives in the home and was not injured. She is Fishburn’s biological daughter with Cameron’s mother, Sheena Cleeton.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is investigating. A spokesman said this week that the agency has had no previous contact with the family.

Holloway said doctors are hopeful that Cameron’s femur will grow back together. If not, they will have to perform surgery to put in a pin.

She said Cameron is a happy, loveable, brown-eyed little boy who loves to play, watch NASCAR and work in the garden with his grandpa.

For now, the family is trying to figure out whether they can take him to this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Midwest 4-Wheel Jamboree monster truck event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, an event he had been looking forward to for some time. Cameron’s injuries put the outing in limbo, though.

Cameron is a big monster truck fan and even has a favorite truck – Grave Digger.

Holloway said the family bought a wagon for the boy to sit in so that he can at least go outside, but they’re not sure they will be able to take it into the Grandstand and find a comfortable place for him to sit. They can’t carry him into the stands, she said, because of the pressure it would put on the cast.

The event is expected to draw 1,000 four-wheel-drive vehicles and monster trucks to the fairgrounds.

Holloway said the family has been through a lot the last few days and they thank people for their thoughts and prayers.

“This has never happened to us before. It affected me so bad,” she said. “How could somebody do something to this little boy who is so defenseless?”

Cameron will see monster trucks / VIP treatment for injured 3-year-old
June 22, 2007

Cameron Cleeton-Wilson has something fun to look forward to this weekend.

The 3-year-old is in a partial body cast because of the broken thighbone he suffered on Father’s Day when, authorities say, his mother’s boyfriend battered him at the family’s mobile home on Enos Avenue.

The boyfriend was arrested and is in Sangamon County Jail.

Prior to the attack, Cameron had been looking forward to going to this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Midwest 4-Wheel Jamboree monster truck event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. He was particularly looking forward to seeing his favorite monster truck, Grave Digger.

But because of mobility issues, Cameron’s grandparents were not sure they would be able to take him. His grandmother, Shirley Holloway, who is caring for him as he recovers, said Wednesday she was not sure the family would be able to carry Cameron or pull him in a wagon up to the bleachers.

On Thursday, many concerned people who read about Cameron in The State Journal-Register tried to find a way to get the boy to the show and be the center of some special attention.

Their efforts paid off.

Jessica Hubley, an event promoter with Indianapolis-based Family Events, which produces this weekend’s monster truck event, said she had received an e-mail from a reader who forwarded the story and asked if there was anything that could be done. By afternoon, about 15 people had called Hubley about Cameron’s situation.

“I’ve never dealt with this before. I’ve never had this kind of thing happen, but the second I heard about it, right off the bat I knew we had to make sure we contacted Cameron’s family and extended an offer for him, pending whether he feels well enough to come out,” Hubley said.

“We wanted to make sure he got the VIP treatment because it was a terrible thing that happened to him.”

Not only is the Grave Digger crew putting together a package of T-shirts, hats and gear for Cameron, he is going to receive a private meet-and-greet with the truck’s crew, including driver Pablo Huffaker, and he and his family will be able to sit in the announcer’s booth to watch the show.

The family also received VIP passes to get into the event from John Henton, manager of one of the Springfield O’Reilly stores.

Holloway on Thursday said she was surprised by and thankful for the outpouring of support.

“I told him he’s going to go see Monster Jam, and he said, ‘Yeah! Vroom! Vroom!’ He’s all excited,” she said.

Cameron continues to be in pain and discomfort from his injuries, Holloway said as she tried to scratch an itch on his leg under the cast. He later started crying from the pain in his leg.

The child was at home with his mother’s boyfriend, Jessie S. Fishburn, 20, Sunday night when the alleged abuse happened.

Detectives at the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office will not say specifically what they believe transpired, but they arrested Fishburn, and he has been charged with aggravated battery to a child. His bond was set at $75,000, but even if he posts bail, he cannot be released because of a parole hold.

Cameron was rushed to a hospital emergency room after his injuries were discovered. Workers there notified authorities after determining the injuries were consistent with child abuse.

In addition to the broken bone, he had a footprint on his right thigh, bruises on his buttocks and a cut over his ear.

Fishburn reportedly has been on suicide watch at the jail. His family has said he is innocent.

Child scalding leads to mother’s arrest

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I was a relatively new mom when this story unfolded, and it had a profound effect on me. My son was almost the same age as the tiny victim in this incident, and I could not imagine ever harming my son’s little body. I remember going to the ladies room and crying in the middle of the reporting process — both out of sympathy for the boy and anger toward the mother.

Child abuse prevention is an issue that became more important to me the more I reported on abuse cases, especially after I had children of my own.

Toddler scalded; mother arrested / Boy allegedly put in hot water after soiling his diaper
April 1, 2006

A Springfield woman was jailed Friday after she allegedly punished her 15-month-old son by scalding him in the bathtub with hot water, causing second- and first-degree burns, police and prosecutors said.

The burns were severe enough that some of the baby’s damaged skin fell off when he was lifted out of the bathtub by a witness, police said.

Brea N. Reese, 20, of the 1700 block of East Clay Street is charged with one count of aggravated battery to a child. Reese also goes by the alias Sherika M. Smith, according to jail officials.

The boy is being treated in the burn unit at Memorial Medical Center for deep second-degree burns on his feet, legs and bottom and first-degree burns on his lower back. Police said the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, though he is expected to be hospitalized for several days.

Police were sent to St. John’s Hospital shortly after 1 a.m. Friday, after medical personnel notified them that a possibly abused child had been brought in for medical attention. Officers arrived as the child was being transferred by ambulance to Memorial.

A woman who was at the house at the time of the alleged abuse took the baby to the hospital. Police said Reese fled after the incident but showed up at the hospital later in the morning.

Police said the child soiled his diaper, which apparently infuriated Reese, who also is mother to a 3-week-old baby and a 2-year-old child.

Reese allegedly took the baby into the bathroom at her home on Clay Street, shut the door, ran scalding hot water and put the baby in the tub. There were three other adults in the house at the time, two of whom live there. The child’s father apparently was not there at the time.

One of the adults in the house told police she heard Reese slapping the child and went to the bathroom door and pounded on it, demanding to be let in because she could hear the baby screaming.

Reese allegedly walked out of the bathroom and left the house. The woman who pounded on the door went into the bathroom, picked the boy up out of the tub and noticed skin hanging from his legs and bottom. She drove the baby to the hospital for help.

Authorities began searching for Reese, who eventually showed up at St. John’s, where she was arrested and taken to the police department to be interviewed.

Springfield police spokesman Sgt. Pat Ross said there was no indication in any of the police reports that Reese was intoxicated or impaired at the time of the alleged incident.

A physician at the hospital told police that burns of the nature the boy suffered would require water temperatures to be anywhere from 115 to 130 degrees.

Police took custody of Reese’s other children, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was notified.

“Our investigators will be assisting in the investigation with DCFS,” Ross said.

Aggravated battery to a child is a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison.

Associate Circuit Judge John Mehlick set Reese’s bond at $100,000 and appointed a public defender to represent her.

Assistant state’s attorney Randy Blue asked that bond be set at $250,000, saying that Reese had an argument with her boyfriend before going home and putting her child into the tub. Assistant public defender Bill Conroy asked that bond be set at $50,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 20.

A search of Sangamon County Circuit Court records shows that Reese was on probation for shoplifting. She has no other criminal record.
Mother had lost boy before / Evidence of neglect in case of child scalded last month
April 8, 2006
Byline: DEAN OLSEN and JAYETTE BOLINSKI STAFF WRITERS

At least six months before a Springfield toddler allegedly was scalded by his mother, Illinois’ child-welfare agency temporarily took him from her because of suspicions he was being neglected.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services removed Demetrius Taylor in September after finding credible evidence that his mother, Brea N. Reese, had neglected him, DCFS spokeswoman Kim McMorris said this week.

The now 16-month-old boy, who was burned by hot water last week, remained in foster care until February, when a local judge ordered him returned to his mother, McMorris said.

Reese, 20, was offered and received “supportive services” – including several visits by a caseworker – once Demetrius was back at home, McMorris said.

“There was no indication that anything was wrong in the home,” McMorris said. “At that time, things appeared to be fine.”

Demetrius was released Thursday from Memorial Medical Center. He had been scalded about midnight March 30 in a bathtub at a home in the 1700 block of East Clay Street.

He initially was taken to St. John’s Hospital about 1 a.m. March 31. Hospital officials notified authorities, and Reese was arrested.

She was charged with one count of felony aggravated battery to a child and was being held Friday in the Sangamon County Jail on $100,000 bond. She has been appointed a public defender.

Her son was transferred later March 31 from St. John’s to Memorial’s burn unit, which treated him for deep second-degree burns on his feet, legs and bottom, and first-degree burns on his lower back.

Reese’s two other children – a 3-week-old daughter and a 2-year-old daughter – were temporarily placed with relatives “because of the risk of harm,” McMorris said.

DCFS officials wouldn’t say where Demetrius is now, but Monique Reese – Brea Reese’s mother – said the boy had been placed in the home of his father’s cousin, who also is caring for Brea Reese’s other two children, Demetriona and De’Nasia.

Monique Reese, 37, a landscape worker and divorced Springfield mother of three, said she doesn’t believe the allegations against her daughter. She said the scalding probably was an accident involving a busy, single mother who may have been dealing with postpartum depression.

“My daughter’s not a monster,” Monique Reese said. “My daughter’s a loving mother and very good with her kids. It’s not up to anybody to judge but God.”

Police said the alleged abuse happened when Brea Reese, apparently angry that Demetrius had soiled a diaper, took him into the bathroom, shut the door, ran scalding hot water and put him in the tub.

The baby’s father was not in the home at the time, police said, but three other adults were. One got Demetrius out of the tub and took him to St. John’s after Brea Reese walked out of the house.

Reese, an unwed, unemployed mother who dropped out of Southeast High School her sophomore year, was staying with her children at the home of a friend at the time, said Vernice Miller, 39, of Springfield.

Miller, a nurse’s aide, said the East Clay Street home is owned by Miller’s fiance, Memory Bailey. Reese and her children were living there temporarily with Miller’s 20-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son.

Reese “said she was getting stressed out with three kids,” Miller said.

Reese appeared to be more agitated when she cared for Demetrius, Miller said. But Reese’s mother and Reese’s boyfriend, whose name is also Demetrius Taylor, said that wasn’t the case.

Taylor, 23, who said he is unemployed and the father of all three of Brea Reese’s children, said he doesn’t believe Reese intentionally hurt his son.

“I don’t blame nobody. Mistakes happen,” he said, though he added that he blames himself “a little” for the incident because he wasn’t there to help Reese with child care that night. The couple don’t live together, although they have in the past, he said.

Reese’s mother said she raised her own children without much involvement from their two fathers and doubted that poverty had anything to do with her grandson’s injuries.

But The Children’s Defense Fund, a child-advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., says research indicates that children in poor families are 22 times more likely to be abused or neglected – in part because of the stress that poverty creates.

Children with teen parents – especially poor, unwed parents – face an even higher risk of being abused because of the burdens on those single parents, according to Mark Testa, director of the University of Illinois’ Children and Family Research Center.

“It creates a very difficult situation for the caregiver,” he said. “It results in a multiplier effect.”

More than 93 percent of births to Sangamon County teens in 2003 took place out of wedlock, and about 40 percent of all births to Sangamon residents each year occur out of wedlock, according to the latest statistics available.

DCFS previously removed young Demetrius Taylor in September because he was failing to gain weight, according to his father. The elder Taylor said DCFS officials at the time contended that he and Reese weren’t capable of caring for the boy.

DCFS officials wouldn’t discuss the details of why they removed the boy last year.

Demetrius’ father noted that his son had to undergo treatment in St. Louis and Springfield when he was born with intestines outside his body – a condition successfully treated with surgery.

Monique Reese, said she has visited her daughter in jail, where she is being kept under constant supervision in an area reserved for prisoners at risk of harming themselves or committing suicide.

“She’s crying a lot and worried about her kids,” Monique Reese said. “She’s taking it hard. We’re all taking it hard.”