A 40-year-old West Virginia mom was arrested and charged with assaulting her 5-year-old daughter last week inside their house after the woman allegedly “pinned” the child down and pulled out multiple teeth. According to court documents examined by Law&Crime, Rebecca Lee Bailey was arrested after the event and charged with one count of felony child abuse by parent, guardian, custodian, or person in position of trust resulting in physical injury.
Deputies responded to a call on Thursday regarding suspected child abuse at a home in Lester, a community in southern West Virginia about 60 miles southeast of Charleston, according to a news release from the Raleigh Sheriff’s Office. Two deputies contacted members of the home upon arrival at the address and initiated an initial inquiry into the incident.
“Through their investigation, it was determined that the suspect, Rebecca Bailey, had allegedly pinned down her 5-year-old daughter and tried pulling the victim’s teeth out,” the sheriff’s office said in the release. “The suspect did pull out two of the victims bottom front teeth.”
It was initially unclear whether Bailey used any kind of tool during the attack or how she managed to extract the victim’s teeth. A request for more information on the case from reporters was not immediately answered by the sheriff’s office.
Authorities were informed by a witness to the incident that Bailey was heard “yelling that the child ‘had a demon in her’” while she reportedly assaulted her daughter. Bailey was “holding a cross” at the moment, the witness claimed.
Luckily, the “disturbance” woke up another family member who was in the house, who was able to act swiftly before calling the police. Until the deputies showed up, the other family member, who wished to remain anonymous, stayed with the youngster.
Bailey was sent to Southern Regional Jail for processing after deputies arrested him for child abuse right after. Authorities refrained from speculating on the attack’s motivation.
Both Emergency Medical Services and youngster Protective Services were sent to the home in the interim to “make sure the child received medical attention and was placed in a safe environment.” Later, the 5-year-old was turned over to a “responsible family member,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“Sheriff Frank Priddy and Chief Deputy Frankie Shelton would like to thank the brave family member who intervened, as well as Deputies Lilly and Eller for their swift response, thorough investigation, and dedication to protecting the safety and wellbeing of our children,” the office said in a statement.
Bailey is presently being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond, according to court documents. She now has a preliminary hearing planned before Judge Greg Tanner on June 30 at 10 a.m.
