Authorities in Missouri are looking for a 24-year-old man who allegedly abused his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter, as well as the family dog.
Mason Williams is facing a slew of charges, including 11 counts each of child abuse, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and animal abuse. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, the alleged abuse took place between April 16 and May 8 at the family’s home in High Ridge, a suburb of St. Louis.
According to the affidavit, deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office documented the incidents on a camera in the home’s video system. The first incident involved the family’s dog. Williams let the dog outside, but it did not obey his commands.
“I’ll f—ing snipe you in your God damn [inaudible],” Williams is alleged to have said on video.
As the dog runs past, Williams grabs its neck and holds it down. Deputies reported hearing the dog yelp multiple times. According to the affidavit, a witness told officers that Williams threw the dog against a kitchen table.
The first alleged abuse incident involving the children took place on April 28. According to the affidavit, Williams entered the boy’s bedroom and “aggressively picks up” the boy by his collar before repeatedly hitting him on his backside. The victim was “crying hysterically,” according to police. Williams also nearly suffocated the girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter by shoving a cloth into her mouth.
Other assaults occurred while the boy appeared to be doing nothing wrong, such as watching television or eating fruit, according to the affidavit. Police said Williams repeatedly hit the boy in the backside during each assault.
“Victim 1 was screaming, crying and begging him not to be hit,” the cops wrote.
In another incident, Williams allegedly grabbed the victim’s neck and began “violently shaking” his head while screaming at him to “f—ing stop.” The suspect then slammed the boy into a beanbag chair, according to the affidavit.
On May 2, Williams allegedly held the boy upside down by the ankles, led him to the window, and threatened to throw him out. Deputies say the suspect held the boy in the air for several minutes while calling him derogatory names.
Local NBC affiliate KDSK interviewed neighbors who were stunned by the allegations.
“You never know what goes on behind closed doors,” Debbie Weggenmen told the television station. “That is too bad. It’s really bad. “Makes me sad.”
Detectives said they were concerned Williams might flee the country. As of Sunday, he hadn’t been arrested.
