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- Fayette Whitehorse, 27, was indicted on charges of aggravated child abuse in Utah.
- Her 3-month-old twins suffered multiple fractures and a brain hemorrhage.
- Whitehorse allegedly confessed to injuring the infants due to frustration, court documents reveal.
SALT LAKE CITY — A federal grand jury has indicted a Utah woman and accused her of abusing her infant twins.
Fayette Whitehorse, 27, of Aneth, San Juan County, was indicted Wednesday on two counts of aggravated child abuse within Indian country. She was arrested on Aug. 26 after a federal complaint for the same case was filed.
Whitehorse is accused of abusing her 3-month-old twins. Her son and daughter were born prematurely on May 18. On Aug. 24, they were taken by medical helicopter from Blanding to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.
The young girl was initially taken to a local clinic for "having a limp arm that that made it so her parents could not lift her arm without her crying out in pain. An X-ray was conducted on (her) arm and it was diagnosed as a broken humerus. In this same X-ray, medical providers also noticed a fractured rib," according to charging docments.
Additional testing revealed a fracture in her knee and a broken rib, the charges state.
The boy was then checked as a precaution, and medical staff discovered "a significant brain hemorrhage along with a fracture in his radius bone and fractures in different stages of healing on three of (his) ribs," according to the charges.
On Aug. 25, the twins' parents were questioned by the FBI.
"Eventually, Whitehorse confessed that she would get frustrated with the victims because she was with them '24/7' and that she had caused some of their injuries," the charges state. "In particular, Whitehorse recalled bending (her son's) wrist in order to get his arm in the car seat and speculated she may have bent it too hard. Whitehorse confessed to aggressively bouncing (her son) on her knee out of frustration a few weeks before the interview, and as recently as this past weekend. Whitehorse also confessed to causing (her daughter's) broken arm (around Aug. 22) by pulling her arm aggressively while frustrated. Whitehorse also believes she caused (her daughter's) knee fracture while attempting to put her leg into a onesie outfit forcefully and out of frustration."
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).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
