- Olivia K. Miller, of St. George, is accused of child abuse and abandonment.
- The father found children, ages 2 and 4, alone and with severe injuries on Saturday, according to a police booking affidavit
- Miller was arrested for erratic behavior earlier and child abuse allegations were added in charging documents.
ST. GEORGE — A St. George woman is accused of abusing and then abandoning her two young children.
Olivia Kefelech Miller, 27, was booked Sunday and charged on Monday in 5th District Court with two counts of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony; and two counts of child abandonment, a third-degree felony.
The investigation began on Saturday after the father of two children, ages 2 and 4, went to his estranged wife's home "to check on her and the children after not hearing from her for an extended time," according to a police booking affidavit. The father, who called police after arriving, says he hadn't seen Miller since June 1, when he went out of town.
The father told police that while he was away, he received "a concerning text message from Olivia which stated, in effect, she was struggling and couldn't handle it anymore," the affidavit states.
When the father got back into town and went to check on the children, he found the front door was unlocked, the children were alone and Miller was nowhere to be found, according to the police booking report.
"He immediately noticed both children had severe injuries to their faces and heads and blood stains were present in the home. It appeared the children had been alone for an extended time. The house was a mess, food, blood and feces were strewn about the home," the affidavit states.
Both children replied "mom" when asked who had hurt them. The 4-year-old also said that Miller was "going to a new house," according to the affidavit.
The children were taken to a local hospital where doctors determined "the eldest child had a fractured vertebra, severe swelling to the face and head, and multiple severe contusions to the body. The youngest also had severe swelling of the eyes and multiple contusions," the affidavit states.
The 4-year-old was expected to be transferred to Primary Children's Hospital via medical helicopter at the time the affidavit was written.
"It appears Olivia made no attempt to render aid to the children or call for aid. Olivia made no arrangements for any person to care for them and there appears to be no apparent intent to return," according to the affidavit.
Investigators then learned that Miller was arrested Wednesday after jumping in front of a car and acting erratically, another booking affidavit states.
"The female was not acting normally and appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance," according to the affidavit. Eventually, police used a restraint on Miller because she was uncooperative and allegedly assaulted an officer. She also refused to give police her name and she was booked into jail under another name.
Once Miller's true identity was determined, the child abuse counts were added on Sunday. She was first arrested Wednesday for investigation of assault by a prisoner, sexual battery, two counts of assault, failing to disclose her identity and public intoxication.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
