Bucks County mom charged with child abuse after Walmart incident in Tullytown
Tullytown Walmart child abuse case: Police officer recounts moments leading up to arrest
A Bucks County mother has been arrested and charged with child abuse and aggravated assault after allegedly abusing her young child at a local Walmart.
TULLYTOWN, Pa. - Police say a mother is facing child abuse and assault charges after an alleged incident at a Walmart in Tullytown, where her young son was found unresponsive and in need of urgent medical care.
Police respond to reports of child abuse at Walmart
What we know:
Mother arrested for dragging, dropping crying child at Walmart in Bucks County: police
A child was rushed to the hospital after police say his own mother assaulted him while inside a Walmart in Bucks County last week.
Police say they responded to a call at the Levittown Walmart after a witness reported a mother screaming at her two small children and repeatedly tossing one into a shopping cart.
Officer John Crichton, the first to arrive, told FOX 29, "We didn’t know how long the kid had been unconscious or unresponsive at that point so we knew it was serious."
Crichton said when he arrived, "One of the kids was attached to like a backpack leash and was laying on the ground and the mom was under distress, trying to calm the kids down, dragging the kid around." He said he turned on his body camera as he spoke with the witness.
Crichton found the mother and her children inside the store. "I asked what was going on and she said the kid was out of control. And that he wouldn’t stop crying and that he fell asleep," said Crichton.
Crichton said he tried to deescalate the situation and walked the family to the front of the store. He noticed the young boy was not moving and said, "He was more than asleep, so I called for medics to expedite to my location." Medics arrived and "showed up to try to wake the kid up who needed immediate medical attention and we took him to St. Mary’s," said Crichton.
After talking to witnesses and confirming the child’s head injuries, police arrested the mother, 28-year-old Samantha Fletcher, who had been living in a shelter with her twins.
Child Protective Services were called to ensure the children’s safety.
Police said there did not seem to be many people interested in helping the children. "In my professional opinion, there didn’t seem to be many people interested in coming out for the children," said Crichton.
Fletcher is being held on child abuse and aggravated assault charges. Social workers are now involved to make sure the children are safe.
The children’s care and next steps
Cases like this highlight the challenges police and social workers face in protecting vulnerable children.
"I would like to think the people involved do their best to take care of them," said Crichton.
When the boy was released from the hospital, police took him and his twin sister to a relative’s home.
The officer’s body camera video will be used as evidence and is not being released at this time.
The situation has prompted renewed attention on the importance of community support and intervention for families in crisis.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear how long the child was unresponsive before police arrived or what long-term arrangements will be made for the children’s care.
The Source: Information from FOX 29’s interview with Officer John Crichton and Tullytown police.