Mom, boyfriend facing child abuse charges
A Yuma mother and her boyfriend are in custody and facing charges resulting from severe physical injuries sustained by her two 20-month-old twin daughters late last month.
Jonathan Paulmarsh Rios, 22, was arrested Tuesday by the Yuma County Sheriff's Office on charges of child abuse and aggravated assault. The children's mother, Stephanie Gregston, 19, was arrested Thursday.
Capt. Eben Bratcher, YCSO spokesman, said Rios was alone with the twins at the time of injury and that Gregston never reported the abuse.
Bratcher said the mother's roommate reported the abuse to the sheriff's office on Jan. 22, which resulted in an investigation.
The two girls were taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center and subsequently flown to the Phoenix Children's Hospital for multiple bruises and contusions on their heads, torso and pelvic area.
Bratcher said one of the two also suffered a broken collarbone and bleeding on the brain.
The children were removed from the mother's custody on Jan. 22 by Child Protective Services and placed in their grandparents' temporary custody. Their current condition is unknown, Bratcher said.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.
