AIDEN WALTERS - 3 yo/ Accused: Sara Rae Walters - Oceola/ Detroit MI

An Oceola Township woman was arrested Friday and charged with abusing
her 3-year-old step-grandson. Police said Sara Rae Walters, 34, caused
more than 60 injuries to the boy, including a subdural hematoma, a
collection of blood on the surface of the brain. The Livingston County
Sheriff's Department began investigating in October after the boy was
admitted to the University of Michigan's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Walters is charged with first-degree child abuse and torture and faces
up to life in prison if convicted. She's in the Livingston County Jail
on $200,000 bond.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120204/METRO/202040360/1409/metro/Briefs-Woman-charged-abusing-step-grandson-3

An Oceola Township paramedic is jailed on charges she tortured her 3-year-old stepgrandson, who was battered from his head to the heels of his feet, the county sheriff said.



Sara Rae Walters, 34, who is a paramedic with Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, is jailed on a $200,000 bond after arraignment Friday on charges of torture and first-degree child abuse for the injuries to her stepgrandson, Aiden Walters, of whom she had primary care. She returns to District Court on Feb. 13 for an exam conference before Judge Carol Sue Reader.

"The baby had bruising and marks all over his body," Sheriff Bob Bezotte said. "He had abrasions to his back, side,(and) heels of his feet; to his whole body. He had ligature marks around his legs and wrists. It appeared he had been tried up. He had bruises on his back.

"A lot of aggression was taken out on this baby. This poor baby went through hell, actually," the sheriff said. "The wounds pretty much covered his whole body."

Aiden and his twin brother, who was not injured, are both in the care of Child Protective Services, Bezotte said, noting that investigators believe Aiden was targeted because he was known as "the difficult" or "more needy" child. He did not elaborate.

The attorney representing Walters in child protective proceedings in Livingston County Juvenile Court said "facts pertinent to this case and the way that the investigation was conducted ... will be appropriately addressed during the court proceedings in this matter."

The abuse was discovered shortly prior to Aiden being admitted at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor at around 12:30 a.m. Oct. 21.

Bezotte said Walters, who has denied the allegations, was transporting Aiden to U-M when he "went into convulsions" as she reached Silver Lake Road and U.S. 23.

Walters stopped her vehicle and called 911, and Livingston County EMS paramedics who responded saw the bruising on the child and summoned police, who met the child at the hospital, Bezotte said.

Doctors quickly discovered that Aiden suffered more than 60 "different injuries," including a serious head injury and numerous other superficial lacerations and contusions. The boy's genitals also were injured, and he had contusions to his rectal area, Bezotte said.

The sheriff said it does not appear, however, that Aiden was sexually assaulted.

"She blames the pulling on his private area on the other boy," Bezotte said, declining to say whether weapons or other objects were used to harm the 3-year-old boy, whose core body temperature was 88 degrees.

Bezotte said Walters denied causing Aiden's injuries, telling police that he "falls down a lot." She also allegedly gave police three stories about why Aiden's body temperature was so low, telling them that he was outside in the barn; that he wet himself; and that he slept in an unheated basement with his twin brother.

The twin brother, however, has a normal temperature, the sheriff said.

Bezotte said Walters indicated that she was taking her stepgrandson to U-M rather than the closer Saint Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital in Howell because she felt the Ann Arbor hospital "was better equipped" to handle Aiden's injury.

The three-month investigation was hampered by uncooperative potential witnesses, Bezotte said.

Walters was arrested Friday morning when she appeared for an unknown Livingston County hearing.

Brighton attorney Christine M. Heckler, who represents Walters in the child protective proceedings, asked in a statement Saturday night that "the public please remember that Sara Walters is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. There are facts pertinent to this case and the way that the investigation was conducted that will be appropriately addressed during the court proceedings in this matter. In the meantime, this case should not be tried in the media."

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120205/NEWS01/202050315

2/13/12 - An Oceola Township woman charged with the severe abuse of her step-grandson is due back in court this afternoon. 35 -year-old Sara Rae Walters was arrested earlier this month on charges of 1st degree child abuse and torture following an extensive three month investigation that began after the three-year-old boy was admitted to the University of Michigan Pediatric Intensive Care Unit on October 21st. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte says Walters was purposely taking the child to a hospital outside of Livingston County when he stopped breathing, so she pulled off on US-23 and called 911. Deputies arrived and noticed bruises and marks all over his body and called in EMS paramedics who revived the child and transported him to the hospital where he was found to have more than 60 different injuries. Walters is due to appear at 1pm for an exam in front of 53rd District Court Judge Carol Sue Reader. If convicted, she faces life in prison.

http://whmi.com/news/article/13890

This poor baby had most likely already been through a lot if his parents didn't have custody. How could a woman torture a little toddler? How could a woman be so cruel. And for God's sake why?

A tentative June 12 trial date has been set for an Oceola Township woman charged with torturing her stepgrandson.Sara
Rae Walters remains jailed on a $200,000 bond on charges of torture and
first-degree child abuse for injuries inflicted on her 3-year-old
stepgrandson, for whom she had primary care.
Walters
first returns to Livingston County Circuit Court for a pretrial hearing
April 27. The case heads to trial if no plea deal is reached.
Authorities
said the more than 60 injuries suffered by the boy were discovered Oct.
21 when he was admitted to the University of Michigan Medical Center in
Ann Arbor after Walters "noticed something was wrong" with the child.
Doctors
there found "extensive bruising and abrasions to his face, hands, arms,
magic stick, legs, torso and buttocks," court documents noted.
The boy's injuries also included a subdural hematoma and a below-normal body temperature of 88 degrees, police said.
However, a family member of the boy said the 3-year-old had more than 80 injuries and a body temperature of around 77 degrees.
There
also is a pending child-neglect-and-abuse case involving Walters.
Parties, including attorneys, on that case are prohibited from speaking
publicly about the case due to a gag order issued Feb. 6 by District
Judge Carol Sue Reader.

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20120405/NEWS06/204050307/Stepgrandmother-s-trial-set-in-torture-case?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage