Child abuse suspects still awaiting appeals case verdict

0

A Delaware County couple accused of endangering children in connection with a severely injured 1-year-old boy is back in jail and, their bond has been increased after they violated conditions of bail.

Natasha M. Moore, 28, of Lewis Center, and Abdurahman Mohamed Abdurahman, 24, of Delaware, were both in jail Tuesday awaiting a ruling in the 5th District Court of Appeals in their ongoing Delaware County Common Pleas Court case.

Moore is charged with two counts of endangering children, which are third-degree felonies, and Abdurahman is charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and two felony counts of endangering children for allegedly abusing Moore’s 1-year-old son, Phoenyx Moore, in January. The boy has since been released from the hospital.

Moore and Abdurahman entered not-guilty pleas to the charges and were later released from the Delaware County Jail after posting bail.

However, Assistant County Prosecutor Douglas Dumolt filed motions on June 17 and June 21, asking Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley to revoke their bonds and return them to jail.

In his motions, Dumolt states that both Moore and Abdurahman have tested positive for cocaine since they have been released from jail, which violates conditions that require they pass drug tests. Dumolt adds that Abdurahman and Moore have had direct contact with each other despite a court order forbidding it. Moore also allowed her GPS tracker to expire and Abdurahman has violated his house arrest multiple times, Dumolt alleges.

Both defendants had bond hearings in June where Gormley increased Moore’s bond from $100,000 to $150,000 and increased Abdurahman’s bond from $400,000 to $600,000.

They were originally scheduled to stand trial on April 12 but in February Dumolt said that Abdurahman and Natasha Moore sharing the same attorney was a conflict of interest and asked Gormley to order the parties to retain separate attorneys.

Their attorney, Brian Jones, has filed an appeal with the 5th District Court of Appeals and said that it is not a conflict of interest to represent both parties.

No ruling has been made in the appeals case and Jones filed a motion in May to extend the deadline on court filings until June 6 because of his heavy caseload. The extension was granted. Another extension was granted, pushing back the deadline until June 27. Jones filed a motion on June 27 to extend the deadline again. A ruling has not been made on the third extension.

A new trial date will not be set until a ruling is made in the appeals case court, documents indicate.

Prosecutors allege that Abdurahman hit the baby’s head against a wall several times on Jan. 13 and caused serious injuries.

A grand-jury indictment for Natasha Moore states that she created a “substantial risk to the health or safety of the child, by violating a duty of care, protection or support” because she did not stop the abuse.

Prosecutors said the case was reported to police after the couple brought the boy to the hospital.

During an interview with detectives on Jan. 13, Abdurahman said he and Natasha Moore were the only people to have been in custody of the boy for the previous 48 hours.

Prosecutors said Natasha Moore and Abdurahman do not have prior criminal records.

Abdurahman
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/07/web1_abdurahman-2-1.jpgAbdurahman Courtesy photos | Delaware County Jail

Moore
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/07/web1_natasha-moore-2-1.jpgMoore Courtesy photos | Delaware County Jail

By Glenn Battishill

[email protected]

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

No posts to display