Share and Follow
Background: A section of Cloverly Road in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Google Maps). Insets (from left to right): Maria Roche and William Witherspoon (Harrisburg Bureau of Police).
In Pennsylvania, a woman reportedly forced children to choose between punishment with either a gun or a belt, while her boyfriend stood by, laughing, according to authorities.
Maria Roche, 31, faces charges including two counts of aggravated assault on a child under 13, two counts of child endangerment, and one count of simple assault. Her boyfriend, William Witherspoon, is charged with child endangerment.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Police reports that the charges stem from an investigation revealing that children in their home were subjected to beatings with a belt, and guns were used to intimidate and harm them. The investigation followed reports of such abuse.
Dauphin County Children and Youth Services visited the couple’s residence on Cloverly Road in Harrisburg on February 17, following a report from a 12-year-old child, as detailed in documents obtained by local Fox affiliate WPMT. During this visit, Roche allegedly acknowledged having firearms in the house, prompting the agency to notify the police.
Authorities stated that on March 20, youth services officials interviewed two children from the home. One child recounted an incident where Roche instructed them to fetch a gun, after which she allegedly tried to shoot one of their siblings in the head. Fortunately, the bullet missed and struck a wall instead.
Roche is also accused of forcing the children to choose between “the gun or the belt” when she punished them. Witherspoon allegedly watched the abuse and “laughed” as Roche handed down her punishments, according to police.
There were more allegations, police said, noting that one of the children pointed investigators to the firearms’ location under Roche’s bed. On one occasion, the woman allegedly shoved the barrel of a gun between the eyes of a child.
On another, a child reported being hit by a belt on his neck, arms, and back, according to WPMT.
Authorities did not note whether either Roche or Witherspoon were the kids’ parents.
Both defendants were arrested on Friday and booked into the Dauphin County Prison. Their case is listed as having been transferred on Monday; their next scheduled court date is unclear.
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania and is located in the central-south area of the state.