A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man is to appear in court today after being charged with abusing six children, including a 6-year-old who suffered what authorities described as severe head trauma and internal injuries.
Damien Jerel Gaylor, 27, was charged Wednesday with the Class B felony of abuse or neglect of a child and five Class D felonies of abuse or neglect of a child by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher.
The complaint on file with the court alleges on Tuesday, Gaylor "recklessly caused" a 6-year-old child to "suffer serious physical injury to the head by pushing" her, causing her to hit her head on the kitchen stove.
The complaint further alleges in 2017, Gaylor knowingly caused five children, ages, 4, 6, 9, 1 and 2, "to suffer serious physical or mental injury as a result of abuse by punching or choking them."
Gaylor's bond was set at $500,000 cash, and he was to appear this morning before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for arraignment on the charges.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Poplar Bluff Police Department, which learned of the alleged abuse at about 3:10 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers, according to police Detective Jason Morgan's probable-cause statement, were sent to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center on Oak Grove Road in reference to child abuse.
Upon arrival, Morgan said, the officers met with Brien Fugate, a paramedic with Butler County EMS, who "reported responding to 806 Hart St., where he came into contact with the victim," identified as a 6-year-old girl.
Fugate, he said, reported the girl's injuries included a brain bleed, a knot on her head, collapsed lung, bruising all over her body and broken ribs.
According to earlier reports, EMS personnel had been told the girl had fallen, but while rendering aid, they found her injuries were not consistent with that explanation.
Based on the injuries, Morgan said, detectives went to the Hart Street home to follow up on the alleged assault.
A search warrant subsequently was obtained for the home, said Morgan, who identified the mother as Shakima Eure and her boyfriend as Gaylor; both were contacted.
Gaylor was taken to the police station, where he was told of his rights and interviewed by Morgan and Detective Steve McCane.
"Gaylor admitted he woke up at 11 (a.m. Tuesday), and while walking in the living room he stepped in vomit," Morgan said. "According to Gaylor, one of the twins ... 'vomited' in the living room floor.
"Gaylor said when he questioned the 'twins' about the vomit, they lied about who left the vomit mess in the floor."
Gaylor, Morgan said, told them he became angry and "punished the 'twins.'"
Morgan said Gaylor reported he sent one of the twins upstairs to her room, while he "punished" the other girl.
"Gaylor admitted to me during the interview that the reason (the girl) was in the hospital was because he hit her, and it was his fault," Morgan said.
Gaylor, he said, told them he had thrown the girl, "causing her side to land on the corner of the couch.
"Gaylor said he then grabbed (her), hitting her twice on the lower back and buttocks area, then pushed her, causing her to hit her head against the stove in the kitchen."
Morgan said Gaylor further reported he saw the girl's head was bleeding, so he used a wash cloth to wipe the blood away from her face.
"Gaylor said (she) was bleeding heavily," Morgan said. "(He) said he thought he killed (the child) because he saw 'mucus' coming from her mouth.
"(He) told me he didn't go for help because he did not have a telephone and because (the child's) mother would be home soon," said Morgan, who was told Eure usually arrived home from work at about 12:20 p.m. each day.
Morgan said Gaylor further told them he left the child in her room and "returned to check on her every 5-15 minutes, wiping the 'mucus' and blood from her face."
Morgan said forensic interviews also were conducted with the three oldest children, who "disclosed that Gaylor had been abusing all of the children for some time."
"The children explained that Gaylor uses a belt to hit them, punches them about their bodies and 'chokes' them with his hands and a belt," Morgan said. "(The 9-year-old) advised that when Gaylor would strangle the children, their faces would change color."
Morgan said the children reported the alleged abuse was not limited to "the older children, but was administered to the 2-year-old ... as well."
The 9-year-old, Morgan said, further told of how "Gaylor would wrap the belt, described as black with a silver buckle, around the children's necks, then lead them around, stating: 'Who's the dog now?'
"Both (of the oldest children) explained Gaylor using the belt to strike the children, ranging in age from 1 year old ... to 9 years old, about their bodies."
On Tuesday, Morgan said, the two oldest children reported "Gaylor was punching (their sister), at which point she tried to flee.
"Gaylor pushed her, causing her to fall and strike her chin on the stove. It was believed at this point that (the girl) became unconscious and suffered the laceration on her chin."
Gaylor "seemed to think" the girl was faking and "began stomping on her," Morgan said. "This action most likely led to the head and internal abdominal injuries," Morgan said.
Gaylor, he said, then picked the girl up and took her to the bedroom, where he used a cloth to wipe the blood off her chin. The girl reportedly remained in the bed until her mother arrived.
After initially being treated locally, the child was flown to Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.
Morgan said he spoke with the medical staff there and learned the child was suffering from bilateral fractures to her skull and subdural hematoma (brain bleed).
Among the girl's internal injuries, he said, were a right punctured lung, left and right rib fractures, possible right lung contusion and liver laceration.
Morgan said the child also has "free fluid" in her abdomen from an unknown origin.
External injuries, he said, include a right knee abrasion and "bruising about her body in various stages of healing."
"A records check of the Poplar Bluff Police Department's records management system revealed a similar case involving the assault of (the same 6-year-old girl) on Nov. 24, 2015," Morgan said.
Police officials report a probable-cause statement was sent to the Butler County Prosecuting Attorney's Office; however, the disposition of that case was not known by press time.
At the time of his arrest, Gaylor was on supervised probation through Butler County.
According to entries on Casenet, on March 1, 2016, Gaylor pleaded guilty to the Class B felony of distribution of a controlled substance. He had been among those indicted by a Butler County grand jury in 2015.
At the time of his plea, the court sentenced him to nine years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and ordered he be placed in a 120-day shock incarceration program.
After completing the 120 days, Gaylor was released from prison, and the court placed him on five-years supervised probation.
Based on information received from Probation & Parole, the court reportedly issued a probation violation warrant, with a $20,000 cash bond, for Gaylor on Wednesday.