Police: Dallas family beat pregnant teen until she miscarried
DALLAS -- Police have arrested four members of a Dallas family who they believe beat a pregnant teenage relative in order to cause a miscarriage. A fifth person, also related to the teen, was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting her.
The victim, who was 14 years old when she allegedly became pregnant in 2013 as a result of sexual abuse, recently came forward to police, reports CBS DFW.
"We want to commend the victim for her bravery in coming forth to report this unbelievable crime," Dallas Deputy Police Chief Gil Garza said at a Wednesday press conference.
The girl told authorities she was approximately eight months pregnant when members of her family -- identified as Cedric Jones, Sharon Jones, Lonnell McDonald and Cecilia McDonald -- realized she was expecting. The girl, now 16, said the family feared Child Protective Services (CPS) would be called.
"(The) family members decided to take matters into their own hands in order to terminate the pregnancy," Garza said. All four were charged with engaging in organized crime, a felony. Robert Cayald was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, also a felony.
The girl was allegedly given multiple doses of birth control pills, Plan B pills and cinnamon tablets.
When that didn't work, "the family members physically assaulted the victim to the point where the victim gave birth to a stillborn child," Garza said.
On the day of the assault, the group allegedly began beating the teen at approximately 5:00 p.m. and didn't stop until approximately 11:00 p.m. -- when blood began seeping through the victim's pants, according to a police affidavit.
The victim's arms were pinned to the floor while suspect Lonnell McDonald allegedly sat on her stomach "repeatedly bouncing up and down," according to the affidavit.
Police say others kicked and punched the girl in the stomach. At one point the the teen cried so loudly that suspect Sharon Jones allegedly gave the girl a couch cushion and told her to "shut up" and cry into it so a relative in another part of the house wouldn't hear.
During the alleged assault suspect Cecilia McDonald allegedly yelled at the teen, "Bitch, you ain't about to get my kids taken away from me."
The teen told police she delivered the stillborn baby in a bathroom, about two hours after the assault. Cecilia McDonald then allegedly entered and took the baby from the bathroom in a plastic mop bucket.
At no point did anyone seek medical assistance for the teenager who said she passed out after being forced to get into the bathtub. The girl said when she regained consciousness she was only given iron pills because she had lost massive amounts of blood.
The suspects allegedly took the aborted baby and put it on a "metal charcoal grill and attempted to burn it," but the attempt failed. Two days after the assault suspect Sharon Jones allegedly contacted suspect Cedric Jones Jr. and offered to pay him $25 to "take care of the rest of it." Jones allegedly put the child's remains in a green plastic bag, placed it in the trunk of his car and "stashed" the baby in an unknown location.
Dallas police say they are still searching for the remains of the stillborn child.
Police say the victim came forward with the help of a person who witnessed the beating two years ago; that witness has not been charged.
"The fact that it took a long time to assist in bringing the victim forward is still something that we're looking into. More charges may still come forward," Garza said.
When asked about the victim's current living situation Garza said, "She was living with relatives at the time, but she no longer lives with them. She's living with a friend."
The teenager is also now under the supervision of Child Protective Services.
Bail for the four adults accused of felony organized crime has been set at $150,000 each. Cayald is being held on $25,000 bond.
Dallas police are asking any witnesses and anyone with information about the assault to contact them at 214-275-1300.