Springdale man accused of injuring 3-year-old boy

Ulrich
Ulrich

BENTONVILLE -- A Springdale man was arrested Saturday in connection with injuring a 3-year-old boy.

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Spencer Mitchell Ulrich, 23, was being held in the Benton County Jail on Tuesday on a $75,000 bond. He was arrested in connection with first-degree battery, a felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years.

The arrest stems from an investigation that began in January when Rogers police received a report about a 3-year-old with bruises on several areas of his body, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Shanda Jeffress, the boy's mother, reported Ulrich was her boyfriend and he watched him while she worked, according to court documents.

Ulrich denied causing the bruises. He claimed the injuries were the result of "rough horseplay" by the boy, according to court documents.

Police later learned from a medical examination the boy also had a dislocated arm and both collarbones had been broken before. The boy did not receive any medical care for the injuries, according to court documents.

Jeffress, 28, told police her son was playing and had fallen off a bed and landed on his right shoulder, the affidavit states. She told police she and Ulrich doctored the boy's arm for a few months and she had looked online to learn the symptoms for a broken arm, according to the affidavit. She did buy a sling for her son's arm, according to court documents.

Jeffress told police she did not take her son to the hospital because she did not want the Arkansas Department of Human Services involved, according to court documents.

Ulrich told police he would become frustrated while he cared for the boy and his 5-year-old brother since he worked nights and cared for the children during the day, according to court documents.

Ulrich said he injured the boy's arm in November or December when he pulled the boy out of a chair by his arm and then threw him on a bed. He said he noticed the boy's arm had started to bruise and his shoulder had started to swell, the affidavit states.

Ulrich said he told Jeffress he injured the boy's arm by roughhousing with him and disciplining him and Jeffress had forgiven him, according to the affidavit.

Police arrested Jeffress on Friday in connection with permitting abuse of a minor, a felony punishable with a prison sentence ranging from five to 20 years. Jeffress is free on a $20,000 bond.

Prosecutors had not filed charges against Ulrich or Jeffress. Ulrich and Jeffress' arraignments are scheduled for 8 a.m. April 13 in Circuit Judge Brad Karren's court.

Tracy M. Neal can be reached by email at [email protected] or Twitter @NWATracy.

NW News on 03/11/2015

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