A Bethany woman stands accused of child abuse following an alleged incident on October 11, involving a 12-year-old victim. Mary Rebecca Garton, 34, is the defendant charged with felony abuse or neglect of a child.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the Harrison County Circuit Court, Bethany Police received a report from the Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division. The report alleged that Garton used a cell phone to strike the child in the back of the head. Additionally, she is accused of slamming the child’s head onto a book they had been reading, which had fallen to the floor.
The complaint, filed by the Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney, stated the child sustained physical pain and injury from the incident. Authorities served the arrest warrant on Saturday. The court mandated that Garton maintain a distance of at least 900 feet from both the victim and the victim’s residence. The court set the bond at $150,000 cash.
