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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Authorities say a Utah woman pulled two of her son's teeth in a Walmart restroom.
Prosecutors said Monday that Jeannine Degaston, 47, bought hand sanitizer and needle-nose pliers from the store, then took them into the restroom and pulled two of her 7-year-old son's teeth.
Police in American Fork said the boy's older brother heard the child screaming and got him out of the restroom on April 2. The teeth were removed in pieces, not just by pulling them out, according to police.
Charging documents say the boy told his brother that one of the teeth was loose, but the other was only slightly loose. Prosecutors say Degaston didn't use any kind of anesthetic. She told police she pulled them out because they were infected.
The child was taken to a dentist, who said the teeth did not need to be removed, according to police.
Degaston was charged with felony child abuse. No attorney was immediately listed for her in court records. Police said Degaston has a history of mental illness.
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