An Okmulgee couple has been arrested in connection with severe injuries to their 7-weekold daughter, according to police. Cheyenne Crites and Russell Mc-Carty face charges after they voluntarily went to the Okmulgee Police Department on Sept. 19 to discuss their daughter’s condition, which included seven broken ribs and a fractured vertebrae.
An Okmulgee couple has been arrested in connection with severe injuries to their 7-weekold daughter, according to police. Cheyenne Crites and Russell Mc-Carty face charges after they voluntarily went to the Okmulgee Police Department on Sept. 19 to discuss their daughter’s condition, which included seven broken ribs and a fractured vertebrae.
According to affidavits, McCarty and Crites told police they were seeking help after Child Protective Services had already removed their children from their custody. McCarty reportedly admitted to the police that he needed to “come clean” about what had happened to their daughter, who had been in the hospital for several days.
Crites told investigators that a few days earlier, she had woken up to her daughter screaming on the floor and McCarty exclaiming, “Oh my God, no.” McCarty claimed he had fallen asleep with the baby on his chest, and she had rolled onto the floor. Initially believing the baby was unharmed, the couple took her to a park later that day. However, while leaving the park, Crites said she heard a cracking sound in the baby’s back and suggested they take her to the hospital.
Crites stated that Mc-Carty was reluctant to seek medical attention and instead begged her to lie to hospital staff, saying that one of her young sons had jumped on the baby and caused the injuries. Crites initially agreed to the fabricated story. However, when doctors discovered multiple fractures, Crites began questioning what had really occurred. She told police that McCarty eventually confessed that some of the injuries were intentional. McCarty reportedly told police that he becomes frustrated when the baby cries and admitted to squeezing her too hard and hitting her excessively while trying to burp her. He claimed he had been doing this since the baby was brought home from the hospital.
As a result of the investigation, Crites has been charged with two counts enabling child abuse, while McCarty has been charged with two cases of child abuse.
The couple is due back in Okmulgee County district court on Nov. 7, at 9 a.m. before Judge Deborah Reheard.
