Police: Woman tending boy with health problems beat him with ice scraper

Police: Woman tending boy with health problems beat him with ice scraper

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DRAPER — A woman has been charged with felony child abuse after allegedly beating the boy she was babysitting with an ice scraper.

Karen Jean Smith, 67, is accused of pulling the boy out of the car and assaulting him in a Draper driveway on March 2, injuring his head, back, arms and legs. She is charged in 3rd District Court with one count of inflicting serious injury by child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Smith, of Draper, “became angry (with the boy) for his misbehavior,” charging documents state.

Both the boy and a nurse for Primary Children’s Hospital testified to police that he had been physically abused. The nurse told investigators the boy, whose age was not released in charging documents, suffered “numerous bruising of differing sizes over different areas of his body … visible still days out from the time of the occurrence, especially in the left upper arm and shoulder area.”

The boy has experienced significant health problems, including a history of stroke and heart issues, behavioral problems, and a required kidney transplant, according to the charges.

The nurse described the boy’s abuse as “severe” and indicated his health problems “are likely to be exacerbated by the maltreatment he sustained,” charging documents say.

Smith made her initial court appearance Friday. Her next hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 5 before 3rd District Judge L. Douglas Hogan.

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Ben Lockhart

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