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A Pennsylvania woman and her boyfriend were arrested after she made her child choose between punishment with a gun or a belt while his children laughed.
this Harrisburg Police Department Confirm Mary Roach Charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a victim under 13, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of simple assault.
Roche’s boyfriend, William Witherspoonwas also charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Police said they laid the charges after an investigation into Roach and Witherspoon, 31, “in which children at their home were beaten with belts.” Meanwhile, authorities determined that guns in the home “were used to threaten and assault the children.”
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According to charging documents reviewed by Dauphin County Children and Youth Services, they visited Roche’s Harrisburg home on Feb. 17 after receiving a tip from a 12-year-old child. WPMT.
Roach allegedly admitted to storing the firearm at the home during the visit, which led to child services contacting police.
On Friday, March 20, youth services staff interviewed two of the children at the home. One of the children reportedly claimed Roach asked a child to get a gun and she then tried to shoot one of the siblings in the head, authorities said. However, the bullet missed and struck a nearby wall.
Roach is also accused of forcing children to choose between “a gun or a belt” when it came to how they were punished. Meanwhile, police allege Witherspoon witnessed the abuse and laughed as Roach punished the children.
Police added that there are even more charges against Roach and Witherspoon. One child told investigators that Roach hid the gun under her bed, and Roach is also accused of once shoving the barrel of a gun between the eyes of one of her children.
Additionally, one child reported being hit with a belt on their neck, arms and back, WPMT reported.
Authorities did not specify whether the children belonged to Roche or Witherspoon or if they were related.
Roach and Witherspoon were both arrested on March 20 and booked into the Dauphin County Jail. Their cases were listed for referral on Monday, March 23. It’s unclear when their next court appearance will be.
It’s unclear whether Roach or Witherspoon have entered a plea or retained legal representation to their arrests. There was no immediate response from the Harrisburg Police Department. US WeeklyRequest for comment.
