2 abuse cases yield 2 arrests

2 abuse cases yield 2 arrests

Published May 30, 2008

By Sharon Swanepoel

The Loganville Tribune    

LOGANVILLE — Two Loganville women were arrested last week by members of the Loganville Police Department and charged in separate instances of alleged child abuse.

Shirley J. Allen, 56, of Arbor Way, Loganville, was arrested May 20 and charged with allegedly abusing her three adopted children following an investigation prompted by Walton County school authorities. Two days later, Shakisha James, 33, of 726 Hillmont Drive, Loganville, was arrested and charged with one count of cruelty to children in the first degree and one count of battery following a report of alleged child abuse from Gwinnett County school authorities.

Loganville Police Department Sgt. Mark Lusk, lead detective on the James investigation, said the victim — an 11-year-old family member — was allegedly beaten with a coat hanger, an electrical radio cord and a belt.

“He had two marks on his left arm and shoulder and a coat hanger imprint in the center of his back,” Lusk said. “We got the warrants on May 21 and she was arrested May 22 and taken to Gwinnett County Jail.”

Lusk said he believed James was out on bond which was set at $5,000 on the count of cruelty to children, a felony, and $1,000 on the battery, a misdemeanor.

Sgt. Mike Westbrooks of the LPD said the two cases show child abuse is still a serious problem in this day and age, even in the local area.

In the case of Allen, Detective Angel Smith, lead detective in the investigation, said the police department received a report prompted by a teacher with Walton County schools that the children, two girls ages 14 and 17 and a boy aged 15, had bruising consistent with beatings.

“Following an investigation, (Allen) was arrested and charged with three counts of cruelty to children, three counts of battery and one count of aggravated battery,” Smith said. “She was refused bond on the aggravated battery charge and remains incarcerated in the Walton County Jail. The aggravated battery charge was as a result of a scar on the juvenile male that appeared to be from a previous beating. They all had bruises all over their bodies and one of the girls also had a black eye and a split lip. The beatings appear to have been with a brown electrical cord that was knotted and made into a whip. This left what we call pattern mark bruising.”

Smith said the investigation indicated the children were also allegedly denied food, on occasion for as long as a three-day stretch, as punishment. Photos indicated there was no refrigerator in the kitchen but there was one in the subject’s bedroom that could be kept under lock and key as well as one in the garage.

“(Allen) told me she considered taking food without being asked, stealing. The children said they were made to stand on a milk crate for up to four hours, also as punishment. They were not allowed to go outside to socialize, to bring friends home or to use the telephone,” Smith said. “The whole situation was just heart wrenching.”

According to Smith, Allen said she “just snapped.” She also was worried the children would turn on her. The male child was adopted in Illinois seven years ago and the two girls, who went to stay with the subject in Illinois about four years ago, were adopted two years ago in the Atlanta area. All three children came out of the foster care system. Smith said Allen told her she received $1,500 per month in compensation for each of the three children, claiming the two younger children suffered some sort of disability.

“With the $600 she said she also received in disability income, that would put her total monthly income at $5,100,” Smith said.

The oldest child had allegedly run away on previous occasions but had always been returned to the home. Smith said somehow the children’s predicament had slipped through the cracks, allowing Allen to eventually adopt all three of them.

The children have been removed from the home and are under the care of the local Department of Family and Children Services. Smith said although none of the children are biologically related to each other, they have formed a bond because of their situation and the social services authorities have managed to keep them together.