The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office today arrested two Walton County residents in connection with an investigation into the abuse and neglect of a three year old developmentally disabled child who is unable to walk or verbally communicate. 31-year old Andrew Dwyer of 220 Indigo Loop in Miramar Beach is charged with two counts of child abuse. His girlfriend, 28-year old Crimson Waters of the same address is charged with two counts of child neglect.
Investigator Ralph Garrett says the charges against Dwyer stem from repeated spankings at a home in Crestview between September 2013 and February of this year. Those spankings left numerous bruises on the child’s body. In addition, Dwyer is accused of putting the boy into a corner and forcefully pushing his face into a wall, causing bruises to the child’s head and face. Garrett also outlined an incident in Destin where Dwyer was upset because the boy was crying. Investigators say Dwyer put him out in the parking lot in his car seat until he stopped crying, and then spanked the child hard before putting him back into the car.
Garrett says Waters was aware of the abuse and failed to report it to law enforcement or the Child Abuse Hotline. When the special needs child was removed from their care, he was suffering from an infected feeding tube, an eye infection, thrush, and severely decaying teeth. The individual arrest reports detailing the charges are connected to the News Release.
