courtesy of Howell County Jail

Stepfather charged with child abuse

A West Plains man faces one count of abuse or neglect of a child after a Feb. 3 incident. Eric Mullins, 49, was placed on a 24-hour hold pending formal charges when police responded to a report of child abuse at a Texas St. residence. 
Officer Jesse Martin responded and interviewed the fourteen-year-old male victim who said an argument turned physical when Mullins, his stepfather, grabbed him around the throat and choked him for six-to-ten seconds, according to court documents. 
There were multiple witnesses in the home, one of whom had to “pry Mullins’ arms off [the victim’s] neck,” according to the probable cause statement. 
In an interview with police, Mullins admitted to wrapping his arms around the child’s neck “to control him.”
Formal charges issued on Feb 4. Mullins posted his $10,000 bond on Feb. 7. This matter is set for a bond hearing before the Honorable R. David Ray on Feb. 14.
 
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