By Conrad Dudderar
Associate Editor
EL RENO – A Yukon man faces a long prison sentence after being charged with child abuse.
Two felony counts were filed Feb. 12 against Andrew Thomas Hill, 37, in Canadian County District Court. Each count is punishable by up to life in state Department of Corrections’ custody and/or a $500-$5,000 fine.
Prosecutors allege the defendant “willfully or maliciously” harmed an 11-year-old child “by slamming his head into the wall and lifting him by the throat” and a seven-year-old child “by squeezing his neck and choking him.”
Oklahoma City Police investigated the case into alleged crimes that occurred last year at a home in the 9000 block of NW 85th.
Detective James Brown on Oct. 31, 2019 was assigned to investigate after a Department of Human Services (DHS) worker reported the abuse that allegedly occurred when Hill disciplined the children. The defendant also reportedly had been locking the children outside, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The affidavit, signed by Det. Brown, describes what the alleged victims said during forensic interviews conducted in mid-November.
The seven-year-old child said the defendant “squeezes his neck and it hurts” and scares the children by locking them outside, according to the court document.
The 11-year-old victim said the defendant “slammed his head into the wall … pickup him up by the throat” and threw him onto his bedroom floor, the affidavit shows.
Another 11-year child reportedly told the interviewer that the defendant called her the “B word”, had grabbed her brothers by the neck and pushed them up against the wall.
“She also said he grabs them by their arms and throws them into their bedrooms,” Det. Brown wrote in the affidavit.
The alleged victims’ mother told the investigator she had never seen Hill place his hands around any child’s throat “other than just play wresting” – but not in a violent or aggressive manner.
The case has been assigned to Canadian County District Judge Jack McCurdy.
