DA: Kids were strangled, punched, waterboarded
Mother, father face multiple charges of felony child abuse
FAIRFIELD, Calif. — The 10 children rescued from a filthy, abusive California home were strangled, punched, shot with crossbows and subjected to waterboarding by their father and their mother did nothing to stop it, prosecutors said.
The details of alleged abuse were included in a motion to increase the bail of Ina Rogers, 31, who was charged with nine counts of felony child abuse Wednesday in Solano Superior Court. Rogers did not enter a plea, but has previously denied allegations her children were harmed.
“On a continuous basis the children were getting punched, strangled, bitten, shot with weapons such as crossbows and bb guns, hit with weapons such as sticks and bats, subjected to ‘waterboarding’ and having scalding water poured on them,” Solano County Deputy District Attorney Veronica Juarez wrote.
Prosecutors have refused to discuss details of the allegations against Rogers and her husband Jonathan Allen, 29, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of torture and felony child abuse. He is in Solano County Jail on $5.2 million bail.
The motion states that when Fairfield Police arrived at the two-story house in a suburb 46 miles northeast of San Francisco on March 31, they found the children “huddled together on the living room floor” in a home littered with feces and trash.
“The children appeared to be skittish and spoke with speech impediments,” she said.
Officers removed the 10 children, ages 12 years to 4 months, from the house. Juarez alleges Rogers assisted in the abuse and “dissuaded the children” from reporting their injuries, which include broken arms. Prosecutors would not elaborate on the accusations or children’s injuries.
On Wednesday, Judge William J. Pendergast set bail at $495,000 for Rogers, saying she “may not be a danger to the public at large, but these charges make clear she is a danger to the children.” It’s unclear whether any California government agencies had an opportunity to intervene sooner or knew of the turmoil in the household.
Solano County court records show that Allen was charged with four felonies in 2011, including corporal injury, assault with a firearm and criminal threats in a case involving his wife, identified by her initials, I.R.
He pleaded no contest to corporal injury as part of a deal with prosecutors. He was sentenced to 180 days and three years of probation. Prosecutors dropped the other charges.