×

Tyrone mom accused of abuse

Wolf allegedly harmed son, 18 months

TYRONE — A Tyrone woman faces charges over the alleged abuse of her 18-month-old son.

Alexis E. Wolf, 20, of 10 E. 15th St., turned herself in to Tyrone police on Wednes­day for arraignment at Tyrone District Court to face felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from injuries to the child that police alleged couldn’t be explained by routine play or falls.

According to the charges, police were notified on March 24 by a family member who noticed bruising on the child’s face. The relative took pictures of the boy’s injuries and turned those over to police. Blair County Children, Youth & Families was also called.

Police described the photographs as showing the child had a large, purple bruise on top of the left side of his forehead, as well as bruising on his left cheek and bruises on his back and stomach.

The child was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the child’s doctor told police the injuries didn’t match up with explanations given by Wolf.

The doctor told police the injuries were “highly concerning for physical child abuse,” police wrote in the charges.

Wolf allegedly had told the family member the bruises on the child’s head were caused by the 18-month-old falling a few times while learning to walk.

Wolf told police during questioning on March 28 that a small bruise on the face was caused around March 18 or 19 by a ride-on train toy that the child was just learning to climb onto himself. She also explained the boy “throws it around like he is ‘Iron Man,'” Tyrone Police Officer Jessica Walk noted in the charges.

The bruise below the child’s left eye was from his wooden tractor, Wolf told police. She said it happened around the same time, and she had turned around to see him hitting himself in the face with the toy.

The large bruise on the head, Wolf told police, happened around noon on March 22 when she put the child down for a nap in his crib, one police described as wooden without any bumpers.

Wolf said about 15 minutes after putting the 18-month-old down, she heard screaming on the baby monitor and ran upstairs to find him on his back, according to police. She told police she initially thought he had a nightmare. Wolf told police he can walk upright in the crib and she puts him down to nap when he is still awake and was unsure if he ever had gone to sleep before she heard the screaming.

When police asked Wolf what she thought had happened to the child, Wolf said she thought he must have hit his head trying to get out of the crib.

As to the bruises on the child’s belly, Wolf claimed the boy didn’t have any, and when shown the photos, she said she thought it was from his pants and that the bruises were faint, police added. She also claimed the boy didn’t have any bruises on his back.

When confronted about the pictures, Wolf allegedly said the boy didn’t have the bruises on his back when he was last at her home, police said.

Police asked Wolf if she gets frustrated with the child, to which she allegedly responded, “What mom doesn’t get angry? I mean, I don’t get angry, I get frustrated and walk away,” Wolf allegedly told police. When asked what frustrates her, Wolf said, “like when you don’t know what to fix or how to calm him down,” police wrote in the charges.

Wolf told police when she gets frustrated, she would cry or walk away and added that taking deep breaths helped. Police wrote that Wolf also said, “She has it down pat by now and she usually can calm him down.”

After a month in the care of a family member, the child was re-examined on April 29. Police noted the doctor at UPMC Children’s Hospital found the boy had no significant injuries. The doctor explained that even as a “mobile toddler, it is highly unlikely that the numerous bruises on multiple areas of his body as well as elevation in his liver enzymes, resulted from routine childhood falls and trauma,” according to the charges.

Wolf told Magisterial District Judge Fred Miller on Wednesday at her arraignment that she gets supervised visitation with the child, who is living with her mother, and that CYF has put a home plan into effect for the family.

Wolf has no prior arrests, and Tyrone Police Chief John Romeo told the court that Wolf has cooperated fully with the investigation and turned herself in to face the charges. Romeo recommended she be released on nominal bail.

Miller released Wolf on an unsecured $75,000 bond and ordered her to not have any contact with the child as a condition of her bail, as well as to report to Blair County Adult Probation & Parole to undergo supervised bail. Her supervised bail will include regular, random alcohol and drug testing as well as a mental health evaluation.

Wolf is scheduled to appear at Tyrone District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on the charges.

Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today