‘One of the worst child abuse cases I have seen’: Boy, 7, in hospital with cut wrists, cigarette burns & ruptured eardrum [Police]

Ohio police arrested a couple on Sunday in connection with “one the worst” child abuse cases a Mansfield Police Captain has seen.

Richland Source reports that authorities carried out a search warrant at a Mansfield home off of East 1st Street, following a grandmother’s complaint on suspicion of child abuse. According to the grandmother, identified as Lola Martin, her 7-year-old grandson sustained “appalling injuries” after visiting his mother’s home.

Martin said she’s the sole caregiver of the boy, but he’d been staying a few weeks with his mother, Tosha Martin-Henning, 26, and stepfather, Joshua Henning, 30. Martin said her daughter, Tosha Martin-Herring, called her and told her to “come get the boy.”

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Martin picked her grandson up and noticed visible bruising to his body, cigarette burns to his face and cuts to his wrist,” according to the Mansfield News Journal.

Martin rushed the child to the hospital, reportedly with clear signs of abuse, according to an arrest affidavit.

“Ms. Martin took the victim to the Ohio Health Hospital in Reynoldsburg, at which time he was transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus due to the severity of his injuries,” the affidavit said.

Emergency care physician, Andrew Jacques, who tended to the child, told authorities that “this was definitely child abuse.”

Tosha Martin-Henning and Joshua Henning [Police Handout]

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital social worker Staci Shaw, the child had a “ruptured left eardrum, a hematoma, cigarette burns to his face, deep cuts to his wrist and bruising to his entire body.”

When Shaw interviewed the child, he indicated that his mother “tied him up and kicked him and Joshua punched him three times.”

Authorities arrested the mother and stepfather and charged with felonious assault.

According to Fox 8, Joshua Henning was on probation for domestic violence, stemming from a previous, unrelated case.

“This is one of the worst child-abuse cases I have seen,” Mansfield Police Capt. Shari Robertson said. “I give credit to our detectives and patrol officers who worked together in an effort to quickly take those responsible into custody.

The investigation continues. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact Major Crimes Det. Larry Schacherer at 419-755-9766 or Det. J. Mark Perry at 419-755-9730.

Check back for updates.

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