Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – A Wynne mother is behind bars on a $150,000 cash/surety bond after police said she stood by while her boyfriend abused her children and later threatened her son’s life with a kitchen knife.
According to an affidavit, on Jan. 26, Jonesboro police officers went to a home for a welfare concern, with the caller saying that a child there had bruises all over his body.
Upon arrival, officers met with the occupants of the home, who police said acted like they did not know why the officers were there. After a little discussion, the son’s mother, 26-year-old Brittany Maylueala Collins, finally spoke up but did not want to give any information initially. However, she eventually said that her daughter had injuries all over her and that her son, who is under 10, caused the injuries.
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The affidavit says both children were taken to a Little Rock hospital. The daughter was examined and found to have two swollen black eyes and bruising on her chest and back. The son was also found to have large bruising on his forehead, back, bottom, legs, chest, and feet.
Police interviewed the son, who told them Collins beat him with a belt and her boyfriend, 23-year-old Trey Michael Harper, caused the injuries. He also talked about an incident in which Collins grabbed a knife from the kitchen, shook it at him, and threatened to kill him.
A warrant for Harper was issued, and he was arrested on Jan. 28. During an interview, Harper confirmed the story of Collins threatening the son.
A detective spoke with Collins, who continued to blame her daughter’s injuries on her son and did not say that Harper caused them. Police added that Collins did not report the assault weeks prior and failed to call police, with a family member having to report the incident.
Video of the incident was obtained by the detective and sent to the Arkansas Department of Human Services. In the video, the son could be seen laying in the floor, gasping for air, holding his stomach. The affidavit said that Harper was filming the incident, telling the son that “he is fighting for air since he put his hands on his niece,” with Harper calling him several names and cursing him.
“Based on the video, it appears that the boyfriend [Harper] had hit the boy, causing him to gasp for air. Collins had been sent the video by the boyfriend, and she had not reported it either,” police said.
On Jan. 30, Collins turned herself in at the Jonesboro Police Department. She was interviewed and taken to the Craighead County Detention Center.
Collins appeared before District Judge Tommy Fowler on Feb. 2, who found probable cause to charge her with two class D felonies: Two counts of permitting child abuse, and one count of first-degree terroristic threatening (threatens physical injury or property damage).
In addition to the $150,000 bond, the judge ordered Collins to have no contact with the victims.
Harper is also being held on a $250,000 cash/surety bond for second-degree domestic battery, a class C felony. He was also told to have no contact with the victims.
Collins and Harper are both scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 27.
