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Written by: E. George
Published November 7, 2024 @ 1:35 PM ET
Warning: The following story contains information regarding alleged physical violence against/neglect of children.
WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. – Dalton Police officers arrested a woman at the Stay Lodge on Willowdale Road after witnesses reported suspected child abuse. Neighboring guests said they heard a female yelling at her children that she hated them, loud thumping noises, and the children screaming and crying.
The responding officers listened at the door before knocking and heard a loud thump, a woman yelling, and children crying inside the room. Abbygail Courtney Faye Wells told them her son was six, and her daughters were three and four.
An officer noted that one child approached “crying hysterically” and stated, “I’m scared.” She wore only a heavily soiled diaper, and there was dirt and filth all over her face and body.
The officer observed four fresh, red, raised welts on the back of both legs that “were evenly spaced and appeared to be inflicted by an unknown object at this time.”
The other two children were also covered in dirt and grime and had unkept general hygiene and filthy clothing. All three children had numerous bruises of various sizes on their legs.
The room was in disarray, with soiled bedding, a trash pile near the door, and an uncapped gasoline can on the floor, by which one of the children was sitting. One child wielding a red fly swatter informed them that “mom uses this” to punish them.
The officers contacted DFCS, and a social service specialist arrived shortly and conducted an investigation. An officer compared the fly swatter to the children’s injuries and determined that its handle was likely used as a weapon.
All three children confirmed that their mother strikes them with the swatter, and one child added that she also “says mean things to them, like, ‘I hate you.'”
Wells told the officers and DFCS employee that she disciplines her children by spanking their behinds with her hand and putting them in the corner. She denied using the fly swatter but could not produce an explanation for the injuries.
Witnesses reported hearing Wells telling her children, “I hate you” and “I can’t stand you little motherf*ckers.”
The officers detained Wells and transported her to the Whitfield County Jail, citing the presence of “physical abuse occurring, deplorable living conditions, and obvious signs of neglect.” Wells was charged with two counts of first-degree child cruelty – causing excessive physical/mental pain and three counts of first-degree cruelty to children – deprivation of sustenance.
Wells’ sister arrived to retrieve the children. This case is pending.
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On 10 August, 2024 at approximately 18:18 hours, I was dispatched to the Stay Lodge located at 1116 Willowdale Rd room [REDACTED] in reference to a child abuse in progress.
While enroute, dispatch advised the caller could hear a female yelling at her children, loud banging coming from inside the room, and children crying. Upon arrival, I located room [REDACTED] and listened before making contact. I immediately heard a loud thump come from inside the room and I could hear small children crying and a woman’s voice yelling. I could not make out what the woman was saying at this time.
I began knocking loudly on the door where I made contact with the woman / mother, Abbygail Wells and her three children, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] (6-year-old male), [REDACTED BY AGENCY] (4-year-old female), and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] (3-year-old female). Once contact was made, I had Wells step outside the room to separate her from the children. Once Wells was outside I went stepped inside the room to check on the safety and wellbeing of the children while Ofc. Miller remained outside with Wells.
I was approached by [REDACTED BY AGENCY] who was crying hysterically and stated “I’m scared”. After talking with her for a few moments she calmed down and stopped crying. I observed [REDACTED BY AGENCY] (whom is a female) to be wearing only a diaper that was heavily soiled and appeared to have not been changed in several hours. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] face was dirty and I could see dirty and filth all over her body. I then observed on [REDACTED BY AGENCY] four (4) fresh, raised, red whelps on the back of both legs in the calf area. These marks were evenly spaced and appeared to be inflicted by an unknown object at this time.
[REDACTED BY AGENCY] also appeared to be dirty as her clothes were filthy, face dirty, and general hygiene unkept. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] also appeared to be in dirty cloths and unkept hygiene. All three children had multiple bruises that varied in size their legs. I observed the room to be in disarray, bedding soiled, trash piled up near the door, and a gasoline can that was uncapped, with an unknown fluid inside. I smelled the gas can and smelled a strong odor of gasoline vaper. I placed the gas can outside at this time. It should be noted, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was seated on the ground next to the gas.
It should be noted, while speaking to the children, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had a red fly swatter in his hand and stated “mom uses this” while waving it in a striking motion.
Based on the observations thus far, I had dispatch connect me with the on call division of family and children services (DFCS). There I spoke to an operator and advised her of the situation. She advised she would have a worker in route. The social service specialist, [REDACTED], arrived on scene shortly after. Once there I filled her in on my observations and complaints made. [REDACTED] advised she wanted to speak to the children individually.
[REDACTED] first spoke to [REDACTED BY AGENCY] while outside, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was scared and would not talk to [REDACTED]. When she stood up, we observed the red whelps closer. The injury appeared to be fresh and I took the fly swatter [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had earlier and placed the handle portion over the injury. The 4 whelps aligned with the loop handle on the back of [REDACTED BY AGENCY] legs and it appeared as if the injury was made by the fly swatter. [REDACTED] photographed the injures. At the time of this report, [REDACTED] advised she would email some of the photographs she had taken.
[REDACTED BY AGENCY] was interviewed next. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] stated that “mom is mean” referring to Wells. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] also stated Wells uses the fly swatter to hit them. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] held the fly swatter in her hand and referred to it as “hurt”. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] also used the fly swatter in a striking motion on her hand while stating hurt. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] also disclosed that mom says mean things to them like “I hate you”. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] appeared to be have not bathed in some time.
[REDACTED BY AGENCY] was the last child to be interviewed. Initially, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] stated he did not want to talk to [REDACTED]. After some rapport building [REDACTED BY AGENCY] became more comfortable talking to [REDACTED]. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] disclosed that Wells is mean to the girls and says things like “I hate you”. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] also disclosed that Wells uses the fly swatter to hit the kids when they are bad.
Wells was interviewed by [REDACTED] at this time. Wells stated she disciplines the children by spanking their butts with her hand and puts them in the corner. Wells denied using the fly swatter as a form of corporal punishment. Wells could not give a justifiable reason for the whelps found on the children. [REDACTED] then requested she observe the children in the bathroom undressed with her present. Wells agreed to this.
After [REDACTED]’s observations, she disclosed to me that all three children had extensively dirty underwear and skin was also dirty. I observed in a photograph taken by [REDACTED] that will not be included in this report, [REDACTED BY AGENCY] to have two large, fresh red whelps across the upper portion of her back. These whelps also resembled the handle of the fly swatter.
I then spoke to a neighbor, [WITNESS #1], who was the original caller. [WITNESS #1] stated she heard Wells yelling at the children and heard her state “I hate you” and “I can’t stand you little motherfu*kers”. [WITNESS #1] stated she heard loud banging and thumping coming from inside the room along with the children crying and screaming. [WITNESS #1] stated she thought Wells had been physically hurting the children and called law enforcement at this time.
Another neighbor, [WITNESS #2], stated she arrived home from work around 15:00 hours and immediately heard Wells yelling at the children. [WITNESS #2] stated at one point she heard a thump followed by Wells yell “shut up”, another thump followed by “shut up”, and a final thump followed by “shut up”.
Wells denied all allegations of physically battering the children and stated she only uses her hand to spank them and place them in the corner. Wells stated she was moving things around in the room and that could have been the thumping sound others heard.
Based on the observations of the children, presents of physical abuse occurring, deplorable living conditions, and obvious signs of neglect I advised [REDACTED] I would be placing Wells under arrest for cruelty to children. [REDACTED] advised she wanted the children placed with a family member.
Ofc. Aldava was on scene at this time and was informed of the investigation thus far. I advised her to place Wells under arrest at this time. Ofc. Aldava effected an arrest on Wells. I advised Wells the reason for her arrest. Search incident to arrest, no contraband was located. Prior to placing Wells in the back seat of my patrol car, the back seat was searched by Ofc. Aldava with no contraband being located. Wells was placed in the rear seat where she was safety belted in and advised she is a US citizen.
I provided [REDACTED] with a case card and case information. At Wells’ request, her sister, [REDACTED], was contacted to retrieve the children. I also retrieved $500.00 in $20.00 bills from inside the room at Wells’ request. The money was counted in front of my in car camera car #69.
Ofc. Aldava stood by with [REDACTED] and the children until [REDACTED] arrived where the children were turned over to her care. I then transported Wells to the Whitfield County Jail where upon arrival, I secured my service pistol in the lockboxes provided. Wells and her property were turned over to the booking staff without incident.
While there, I completed warrantless arrest form #69106 charging Wells with 3 counts of violation of O.C.G.A. 16-5-70(A) in that well intentionally and willfully deprived all three children under the age of 18 necessary sustenance and care to the extent that the children’s wellbeing was in jeopardy due to the deplorable living conditions and lack of parental care. I also charged Wells with two counts of violation of O.C.G.A. 16-5-70(B) in that Wells intentionally and maliciously struck two of the children with the fly swatter causing excessive physical pain.
At this time, this case is closed due to Wells’ arrest.
[End of Narrative]
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