The parents of 1-year-old and 3-year-old children are facing felony charges in Miller County, Ark., in connection with alleged physical abuse.
Alixyana Michella Williams, 21, and Cody Howard, 37, were both arrested May 12 for charges related to the alleged abuse of the two children, according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account. Both came to the attention of Texarkana, Ark., police after two family friends brought the children to a local hospital May 11.
When investigators first observed the children, they noted fading bruises on the boy and fresh bruising on the girl. The 1-year- old allegedly had bruising on her legs, back, left and right temples and under her left eye. A cut was discovered on the girl's inside upper lip, and she had a cut above her right eyebrow, cuts coming down the side of her right eye and a healing scratch on her chest.
"Her left eye was also red and nursing staff advised there may be eye damage as well," the affdavit states.
The family friends allegedly told investigators that Williams was not responding to phone calls or text messages since they informed her of their intent to take the children to a hospital. Detectives located Williams at her apartment, and she agreed to speak with them at the Bi-State Justice Building.
Williams initially denied knowing why detectives wanted to speak with her about her children.
"She then said that her friends had pointed out a black eye on (the girl) but she denied any knowledge of the black eye, saying, '(the girl) been having a spot under her eye,'" the affidavit states. "When advised this was more than a spot, she advised she didn't know anymore."
When first questioned, Williams also denied knowing the origin of marks that appeared to have been made with a strap on the children. Later she allegedly told investigators Howard hit the children with a belt.
"I asked her if she felt it was reasonable to hit an infant that could not even walk yet," the affidavit states.
Williams allegedly agreed it is unreasonable to hit a small child and allegedly claimed that she had told Howard as much. She allegedly claimed that Howard had only begun hitting the girl recently and "only when she 'cries for no reason.'"
"She added that (the girl) cries very loudly and won't stop, even though she is clean, dry and fed," the affidavit states.
Howard has been charged with two counts of battery and is being held in the Miller County jail with bail set at $200,000. Williams has been charged with two counts of permitting the abuse of a minor and is being held in the Miller County jail with bail set at $50,000.