OKMULGEE, Okla. — The Okmulgee County Sheriff's Office said it found three small children living in deplorable conditions, and in even worse physical shape.
"This is one of the worst child abuse cases we've seen in our careers in a long time. Maybe the worst one," Sheriff Eddy Rice told 2 News Oklahoma.
Rice said an anonymous call asking for a welfare check at a home on Oklahoma Street in Okmulgee on Monday produced shocking results. They found three children inside physically abused, he said.
The youngest was a six-month-old baby girl along with her four-year-old brother and six-year-old brother. The six-year-old had to be flown to a Tulsa hospital for treatment.
"Do you think the fact they made that call, might have saved these kids' lives?" asked 2 News' Samson Tamijani.
"I'm sure that it did," the sheriff answered. "The one that had to be life-flighted. If there was more time that went by, I mean, it could have been worse."
Rice said tribal police arrested the children's mother. OCSO office took the baby girl's father, John Ray Collins, into custody. He's charged with child abuse by injury and is booked in Okmulgee County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
Sheriff Rice said Lighthorse tribal police brought in the FBI to investigate the mother and the house where the children lived. Okmulgee County District Attorney's Office will continue to investigate Collins and decide if more charges should be filed against him.
Neighbors down the street from the house told 2 News they're angry to hear that such a crime was committed.
"This is a good community. We have good people in our community," Paul Combs said. "It was a quiet incident that... it's just kind of weird."
Combs and fellow neighbor Ronnie Nelson said they hope the kids find a good home and that justice comes swiftly.
"(Those responsible should) get what they deserve," Nelson said. "Those babies don't need that. This world don't need idiots like that."
"No mercy when it comes to children," Combs added. "Children should be our main priority and they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law."
2 News reached out to Lighthorse Police for more information on the mother's arrest, they said their office's public information officer is out for the week and they couldn't release any details. Since the mother is native any possible charges against her will be in tribal court.
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