Elyria woman accused of abusing children

A 33-year-old Elyria woman is facing charges of abusing two children in her care, according to police and court records.

Elisa Sagges was indicted June 3 by a Lorain County Common Pleas Court grand jury on six felony counts of endangering children, four misdemeanor counts of endangering children and two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence.

Sagges was arrested March 30 following an investigation that began after reporting two children, ages 12 and 14, missing on March 25, according to the report.

The children were found March 29 and taken to UH Elyria Medical Center.

Witnesses told police they believed the victims were being abused at a house in the 200 block of 16th Street in Elyria.

Classmates of one of the victims told investigators the youngster would come to school with visible facial bruises, the report said.

The victims told police that over an 18-month period, Sagges often would give them “whippings” using

Sagges wooden boards and sticks.

The children said they would be struck in the buttocks with a wooden board of one to two feet long up to 50-60 times, and sometimes on the back of the head.

Sagges allegedly would place marks next to the victim’s name on a dry erase board in the basement and the child would be struck for each mark on the board that day, the report said.

Officers observed yellow and purple bruising on one victim’s face and both victims had brown, yellow and purple bruising on their buttocks, consistent with being whipped repeatedly.

The victims told police they previously ran away and attempted to tell law enforcement about the abuse issues only to be placed back in the home.

In an interview with police, Sagges admitted to striking the children on the buttocks with the board and with an open hand, but denied doing so against bare skin and did not believe it was hard enough to leave bruising.

When confronted about the bruising, she told investigators, “they are disciplined ... not abused.”

When officers asked about the physical evidence from the bruising, she allegedly stated, “I didn’t tear them up ... there might be bruises on their butt,” before requesting her attorney.