A Garner mother is facing two felony child abuse charges after police say her 2-year-old’s broken upper arm went untreated.
Garner police arrested Tamika Smith on Wednesday and charged her with two felony counts of intentional child abuse causing serious bodily injury. Court documents allege she failed to get medical care for the toddler, who was found with a broken bone in the upper arm. Smith is being held in the Wake County jail and is scheduled to make her first court appearance Thursday at 1:30 p.m., according to police and WRAL.
What police allege
Court papers outline an alleged timeline in which the 2-year-old suffered an upper arm fracture and was not taken for medical attention, prompting detectives to open a criminal investigation. Investigators are leaning on medical records, clinician observations and interviews to determine whether the injury was accidental, abusive or the result of neglect. The Garner Police Department has asked anyone with information to contact detectives as the case moves toward potential prosecution.
How state authorities treat missed care
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services lists “has not received medical attention for a physical injury that has been brought to the parents’ attention” among indicators of neglect, and county social services teams are tasked with assessing those reports, according to NCDHHS. When clinicians identify injuries that appear inconsistent with caregivers’ accounts, hospitals and child protective services can trigger both medical and criminal reviews to protect the child. Those procedures are designed to balance a child’s immediate safety with preserving families when that is considered appropriate.
Not an isolated pattern
Similar cases have surfaced elsewhere in the region. In March, medical staff in Kinston documented a new fracture and signs of an older break in a 2-year-old that led to felony charges against both parents, as reported by felony charges against both parents. Those situations show how a single suspicious medical finding can quickly widen into broader criminal and social services inquiries.
Legal consequences
Under North Carolina law, child abuse that causes “serious physical injury” or “serious bodily injury” is a felony. The statute defines those categories and assigns different classes of felony depending on the severity of the harm, according to the state code. If prosecutors move forward with the charges filed by Garner police, the case will proceed in Wake County courts, where judges and juries will weigh medical testimony and other evidence. The statute text is available at N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14‑318.4…