Local duo charged with child neglect

Female says she has COVID-19, coughs in officer’s face

AMIE CATO-REMER

EDITOR

A local woman and man have been charged with felony child neglect and possession of both controlled dangerous substance (methamphetamine) and drug paraphernalia following the report of alleged child abuse at a Muldrow residence.

Cristal L. Ragsdale aka Brown, 35, who has addresses listed in both Sallisaw and Muldrow, and Adam E. Walters, 41, of Muldrow, were charged Dec. 6 in Sequoyah County District Court. Brown is slated for a Dec. 14 felony disposition docket before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters while Walters is scheduled for an arraignment the same day. Walters received an $11,000 bond, according to court records.

Brown is facing an additional felony charge of prisoner placing body fluid on government

Brown employee after she claimed to have COVID-19 and coughed on an officer, allegedly telling him she “hoped he got it.”

Sgt. Tyler Ragan with the Roland Police Department reported on Dec. 1 he was contacted in reference to a possible child abuse case at Park Place Apartments, which was reportedly called in by Brown.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Brown said she and Walters had allegedly gotten into a physical altercation and a child under the age of 5 had allegedly slammed their head on the concrete at the apartment complex.

Roland Police officers David Woody and Richard Seabolt went with Ragan to conduct a welfare check on the child and after several attempts, Walters answered the door and spoke with officers while the child was checked on and confirmed to have no visible injuries.

Walters also told authorities he believed Brown was trying to “set him up,” by leaving syringes in the home. Ragan reported finding several syringes with a clear residue in plain view in the bathroom cabinet.

Walters asked Woody if he’d retrieve a pack of cigarettes from the top of the refrigerator, where Woody reported finding a baggy of white powdery substance believed to be methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.

When Ragan asked Walters for consent to search the entire residence, Walters said he would prefer him not to. Walters was taken into custody for possession of paraphernalia and the residence was locked down until a search warrant could be obtained and conducted. Woody also reported finding an additional syringe in Walters’ back pocket.

Ragan served the search warrant later that evening where he reported finding numerous syringes throughout the residence, along with a baggie of a white crystal substance, two glass smoking devices containing marijuana, and several used syringes in an open area of the bathroom.

Sequoyah County Sheriff investigator Jason Stone was contacted regarding the domestic involving child abuse where Brown reported she received treatment for her injuries she sustained.

Woody told Stone he was making contact with Brown due to Brown not coming in to file a report. She and the child then met with Stone where Stone reported the child was not wearing any pants or underwear. The investigator noted he didn’t see any visible injuries to the child or Brown during that time and Brown alleged once again she’d been assaulted by Walters early that morning.

Brown said she left the residence because Walters allegedly kept drugs in the home and she feared for the child’s safety, according to the affidavit.

Walters reportedly told police he wasn’t even at the residence when the alleged abuse occurred and Brown was making it up. He claimed Brown had been texting him, asking him to get her some pills. Stone also reported Walters had no visible injuries on him that he could see.

Brown alleged she never texted Walters from her phone but the messages were from her phone, however she was not the one who sent them.

The minor child was taken into Department of Human Services custody and Brown and Walters were transported to the Sequoya County Detention Center to be booked in on their charges. Woods informed Stone a short time later Brown had intentionally coughed in his face, stating she had COVID-19 and her saliva had landed on him.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said felony child neglect is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not exceeding life imprisonment, or imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000, or both fine and imprisonment.