Woodward Couple Charged With Felony Child Abuse

Jim Apel, News9.com

WOODWARD, Oklahoma – A Woodward couple was charged Thursday with multiple felony counts of child abuse and child endangerment.

Jeffery Lynn Sawyers and Krystina Elizabeth Rodriguez were each charged with two counts of child abuse by injury and three counts of permitting abuse. 

In court papers filed Thursday, one of Rodriguez's minor children was reportedly taken to the OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City for the treatment of a traumatic head injury in March. The child was treated for "bleeding on the brain along with a large knot on her head and bruising on her legs and bottom."

The affidavit refers to a report filed by a DHS investigator in which Sawyers said the child was injured in a fall from a step in Rodriquez's home. The child told the investigator that "Sawyers hit her with a hammer in the head" and described the location of the hammer inside the home.

Both Sawyers and Rodriguez admitted spanking the children and "admitted to leaving injuries on the children," in a court hearing in March.

Woodward police executed a search warrant in June and recovered a wooden back scratcher, leather belts, a dog leash, an orange-handled hammer, and an aluminum baseball bat. Officers also found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Bond has been set at $100,000 for Rodriguez and $100,000 for Sawyers.

Rodriguez faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 14, 2012.