Michigan mother Christina Kay Crow charged after injured child found in woods
Christina Kay Crow allegedly told officers her daughter was visiting a relative
A 40-year-old Michigan mother, Christina Kay Crow, has been charged with assault with intent to murder after her five-year-old daughter was discovered severely injured in the woods.
The Benzie County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies were dispatched to a residence on Lincoln Avenue in Thompsonville at 9:30 am on Monday for a welfare check on Crow.
During the visit, Crow allegedly claimed her daughter was staying with a grandmother downstate, but an uncle quickly refuted the story, prompting an immediate search of the property.
Deputies located the young girl huddled under a brown blanket in a wooded area behind the home. Benzie County Sheriff Kyle Rosa revealed that the child had sustained serious injuries to her neck and face and was suffering from hypothermia in 22-degree conditions.
"She was not dressed to be outside," Rosa stated, adding that while the girl was conscious, she was "very slow to respond" due to the extreme cold. The child was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where she is currently listed in stable condition.
Crow was arrested at the scene and arraigned on Wednesday. She faces one count of assault with intent to murder and one count of first-degree child abuse, with a judge setting her bond at $1 million.
Sheriff Rosa credited the "instincts" of his deputies for saving the child’s life. Crow has no previous criminal record in Benzie County, though records show she recently sought local mental health services. A preliminary examination is scheduled for early May.