Four facing charges after child hospitalized with life-threatening injuries

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KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. -- Four people are facing charges after police responded to a home and located a child with life threatening injuries, according to the probable cause affidavit.

On March 2, Nappanee Police responded to Runestar Springer's home on N. Main Street for a child in need of services call.

Police said the child had obvious injuries and called EMS.

Springer, 24, told officers Jammy Stacy, 41, dropped her son off the day before and she saw injuries on his body. Stacy told her not to contact police or they would both be arrested for child abuse, reports said.

Runestar Springer

Travis Tillotson

Fayette Robinette

Travis Tillotson, 38, who was home with Springer when Jammy dropped the child off, told police he knew the child was in bad shape. He said he wanted to take him for treatment but Springer convinced him not to, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The child was taken to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne for Treatment. Staff told police they found the following injuries in various stages of healing:

  • Several pieces of the child's scalp were missing - ranging in size from half an inch to two inches.
  • His septum had been cut out and had started to heal
  • It appeared someone's fingernails dug into his left check and had scabs
  • Skin was missing from the bridge of his nose and scabbed over
  • His arms were broken in multiple places and were in different stages of healing
  • His arm socket was broken
  • Some of his teeth were broken
  • His lower lip has deep cut
  • He was underweight/malnourished
  • Suffered hematomas to the head
  • Critically low blood labs

A doctor spoke with investigators and said if the child hadn't gotten treatment when he did, he would have died within 48-hours.

The doctor said the injuries were consistent with prolonged child abuse, reports said.

He said the child had several head injuries that caused bleeding on the brain and those injuries were life threatening.

Officers learned the child had been in Jammy Stacy's care, in Etna Green, Indiana, since approximately October 2017. Stacy allegedly told police she knew the child needed medical attention - and would have gotten him help if he was her child, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Photos on Stacy's phone showed the injuries happened while Stacy was the sole caregiver and that Fayette Robinette, 58, and Stacy's mother had contact with the child at the time the injuries were visible, yet did nothing to get him help, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Springer was arrested on one count of neglect of a dependent on April 20th. She has since bonded out.

Tillotson was arrested on one count of neglect of a dependent on April 20th. He has since bonded out.

Robinette was booked on May 1 on a neglect of a dependent charge. Robinette bonded out later in the day.

Jammy Stacy is still wanted on one count of neglect of a dependent.

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