A Mount Pleasant woman faces a felony child endangerment charge after investigators say she failed to protect her child from abuse and may have caused injuries herself.
Willow Elliott, 23, is charged with child endangerment with bodily injury, a Class D felony.
The charge stems from the same investigation that led to the October arrest of Shawn Tucker Jr., 23, Elliott’s boyfriend and a fellow household member. Tucker faces three Class D felony charges — willful injury causing bodily injury, domestic abuse assault impeding air and blood flow causing bodily injury, and child endangerment with bodily injury — after a 6-year-old child was found with multiple injuries in October.
According to court documents in Elliott’s case, Iowa Health and Human Services began investigating an allegation of physical abuse on October 20th. The following morning, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office assisted HHS with a welfare check at the family’s Mount Pleasant residence.
The child was found with multiple injuries, including abrasions and bruising to his face, ears, and eye, scratches and red marks on his neck, and abrasions and bruising to his torso. HHS transported the child to a hospital for further evaluation.
According to court documents, Elliott denied being home or observing any injuries. However, during a recorded jail telephone conversation between Elliott and Tucker, Elliott acknowledged she was not a perfect parent, saying, “I didn’t do half the crap you did.” Tucker then stated Elliott “kicked the s*** out of him a couple weeks ago.” Elliott did not deny the allegation.
She was booked on a $5,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20th. A no-contact order has been requested in the case.
