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ST. GEORGE — A woman who claimed she accidentally fell into a creek after taking her 1-year-old child near the frigid water with no jacket or blanket has been charged with child abuse.
Shauna Nicole Wagenman, 40, of Central, Washington County, was charged Monday in 5th District Court with child abuse, a third-degree felony; and reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor.
Just before 8:30 p.m. Sunday, a Washington County sheriff's deputy was called to the town of Central where a man reported to police that he had found a truck belonging to Wageman, who is the mother of their 1-year-old child, but he did not know where she or his son were. A blanket and a car seat, both belonging to the toddler, were found on the ground, according to a police booking affidavit.
A short time later, one of the father's friends found Wagenman and the boy by a creek. Wageman was wet from the waist down.
The friend told the deputy that "he found Shauna and the baby yelling down by the creek and he saw the baby with no shoes, no blanket, no socks, and no jacket. It shall be noted the temperature in Central, Utah is approximately 30 degrees along with snow on the ground," the deputy wrote in the affidavit.
Medical crews were called to the scene and reported "the baby's feet were purple and he was freezing, his legs and lips were trembling," the affidavit says. An updated condition on the toddler was not immediately available Monday.
Wagenman told police she had taken the boy to the creek about 4 p.m.
"Shauna stated she accidentally fell into the creek but did not have her phone on her. Shauna said her son kicked off his socks but stated she did not put them back on him because at the time she did not realize they came off. Shauna said she tried walking back up but could not because she was stuck in a bush so she tried yelling for help," according to the affidavit.
