A Derry Township woman is accused of beating a 14-year-old boy so badly that it caused permanent disfigurement in one of his ears, according to state police.
Jamie Denise Harr, 51, and her husband, Charles Edward Harr, 53, were arrested last week in connection with the assaults and remain at the Westmoreland County Prison.
State police said the boy reported rarely leaving the home and that his eyeglasses would be taken from him for weeks at a time.
Troopers responded to the Wedges Court Drive home on Sept. 22 after a person who was on the phone with Jamie Harr reported hearing what he thought was the 14-year-old boy being beaten, according to court papers. The teen had numerous injuries, including one of his ears being swollen shut along with bruises all over his body, police said.
“He also did not have glasses on at the time and he appeared to have difficulty with his vision,” Cpl. Trey Parsley wrote in a complaint.
Both Jamie and Charles Harr claimed the boy’s injuries happened during a vehicle crash on Sept. 12. Troopers said they reviewed urgent care medical records from the following day that showed the boy had only an arm injury.
The boy told police Jamie Harr hit him repeatedly on the ear starting on Sept. 20 and the two suspects refused to let him leave the house when he had visible injuries, according to court papers. He also said Charles Harr choked him a few weeks prior and both suspects made him eat hot peppers if they thought he was lying.
Jamie and Charles Harr are charged with aggravated assault, child endangerment and related offenses. They were being held on $100,000 bail each. Neither suspect had an attorney listed in online court records.
Preliminary hearings are set for Wednesday.
Both suspects were sentenced to one year of probation in 2016 in connection with a misdemeanor charge of providing alcohol to a minor, according to court records.
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