A lesbian couple from Oklahoma have been charged with child abuse involving one of the suspects’ 5-year-old son, who police say was struck with a hammer, whipped with a belt and tortured so badly he suffered strokes and seizures.Rachel Stevens, 28, and her partner Kayla Jones, 25, were booked into the Muskogee County Jail Tuesday on charges of felony child abuse by injury and child neglect.
- Rachel Stevens, 28, and her partner Kayla Jones, 25, charged with felony child abuse by injury and child neglect
- Affidavit states Stevens hit her son with a hammer, and both she and Jones whipped him with a belt
- Toddler was hospitalized in early December with lesions to his face and seizures, and doctors then found he had multiple broken bones
- Police say 5-year-old’s abuse went on for several months
- Stevens and Jones started online fundraiser claiming their child was suffering from seizures after taking a fall
The case first came to light in early December when Stevens’ 5-year-old son was flown to St John Medical Center in Tulsa suffering from seizures and lesions on his face.
Scroll down for video
Doctors at the hospital contacted police after determining that the child had several broken bones in various stages of healing and appeared malnourished.
While the boy was receiving medical treatment, he suffered two strokes ‘due to his trauma,’ according to an affidavit cited by Tulsa World.
Investigators subsequently interviewed the little boy and learned that the child had been tied up, had duct tape placed over his eyes and had been kept in a locked room, the document states.
The toddler also claimed that his mother struck him on the hand with a hammer, and that both she and Jones hit him with a belt all over his body.
According to police, the horrific abuse went on for several months. The little boy said on one occasion, his step-mother kicked him in the groin until he bled.
The station NewsOn6 reported that the couple then launched a GoFundMe campaign for Stevens’ son, claiming that the toddler was picking his own face and was having seizures after suffering a fall.
Police said the suspects, who reportedly have been together for 18 months, shard their Muskogee home with the victim’s twin brother and 7-year-old sister, but they do not believe those children were mistreated.
More than a month later, the 5-year-old remains at the Tulsa hospital getting treated for his injuries.
His two siblings have been taken into the custody of the Department of Human Services.
Stevens and Jones are both due back in court later this month.
6 Frugal Habits To Survive Economic Uncertainty, According to Frugal Living Expert Austin Williams
When it comes to personal finance, there are a lot of factors outside your control. You can’t control politics, pandemics, market trends or new technologies. However, you can control your habits.
Austin Williams, a personal finance expert and YouTuber, knows a thing or two about how to generate savings. In a recent YouTube video, he gave tips on managing your finances in times of economic uncertainty.
Know Your Priorities
Staying grounded and understanding your priorities can help you withstand the challenges of economic uncertainty. Williams urges you to ask, “What are the most important things in my life?” Weigh different ideas like stability, security, freedom, comfort and convenience.
“When you’re aware of what’s most important, your spending becomes more intentional and your decisions become more aligned with your values,” Williams said.
Reevaluate Your Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is vital for your financial well-being. This is a savings stash you keep in case you run into unexpected expenses like your car breaking down, a medical crisis or losing your job and needing money for day-to-day costs. Having an emergency fund guarantees you won’t need to go into debt to get out of a jam.
Even if you already have an emergency fund, Williams suggested revisiting how much you’re putting toward it and how much it would cover.
“Knowing how long your emergency fund will last will help you be informed of where you’re at financially and make smarter decisions to make your money last,” he said.
If your emergency fund will only keep you afloat for a month or two, it might be time to start saving more.
Adapt To Changes
Uncertainty often means changes are coming. If you’re unable to adapt, you’ll probably find yourself in worse financial shape than you started. Williams shared the adjustments he’s made recently, including putting more savings toward his emergency fund, diversifying his income and changing his budget. While these changes might not be effective for your situation, it’s important to stay flexible and open-minded to secure your financial future.
Pause Before Buying
One way to generate more money for your savings is to reflect on your spending.
“Whenever you feel the urge to buy something, give yourself 24 to 72 hours to reflect on it and ask yourself: Will bringing this item into my life make it better?” Williams said.
Finance YouTuber Rachel Cruze has a good way to limit your online spending. She suggested adding an item you want to your cart but not purchasing it for at least a day. That way, you can decide if it was just an impulse buy or something important to you. Being honest with yourself and giving yourself time for the initial excitement to fade will help you make better judgments.
Have ‘No-Buy’ Days
To supercharge your savings, try getting in the habit of having a “no-buy” day once a week. During this day, don’t spend a cent on anything, including online shopping, takeout or an app download.
According to Williams, “By doing this small pause once a week, it can help you become more intentional with your money because we often spend out of boredom, stress or routine, not because we need it.”
Over time, this no-spending habit can add up to a large amount of extra cash you can put toward something you need.
Don’t Spend What You Don’t Have
Even if you have a steady monthly paycheck, that money isn’t yours to spend until it reaches your bank account. In 2024, the average credit card balance in the U.S. was $6,730 per person, meaning a lot of people are spending what they don’t have. However, even planning to buy things based on money you assume you’ll have later can be disastrous in uncertain times.
Williams cited the adage “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
“In uncertain times, assumptions can be dangerous. Just because you expect a bonus, a tax refund or a big paycheck next month doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed.,” he said.
Be safe and plan your finances based on what you actually have.
10 clever ways to save money that really work
In light of stubborn inflation and rising living costs, saving money can be especially challenging. Even if you successfully cut back on spending, you may still have little leftover to save by the end of the month.
In this case, finding extra money to save may require some creativity. So, consider these clever strategies that can help.
1. Write a reverse shopping list
Typically, a shopping list involves listing out all of the items you’re missing at home that you plan to purchase. However, if you’re trying to save money, reduce waste, and generally get organized, you may want to consider creating a “reverse” shopping list instead.
With a reverse shopping list, you list out the things you already have to avoid duplicate purchases and make better use of existing ingredients. For example, if you already have pasta, canned tomatoes, and garlic, your reverse shopping list might show you that all you need to buy is parmesan and basil to make a full pasta dinner.
2. Start a savings jar
You might be familiar with the swear jar, which requires you to add money to the jar whenever you say a bad word. Why not turn that idea on its head and reward yourself when you do something good?
Here’s how a savings jar works: When you avoid an impulse purchase, reward yourself by setting aside a small amount (such as $5-$10). You can put your funds in a physical jar, or deposit your money in a dedicated savings account that serves as a symbolic savings jar — and also earns interest.
3. Create a visual savings tracker
If you’re a visual learner, creating a savings tracker to monitor your progress toward specific goals — whether you’re saving for a rainy day, retirement, or your next big vacation — could help accelerate your progress. For instance, you might have an X and Y graph with a line that visually shows your savings increasing over time. Or you could post a photo of the goal you are saving toward on your refrigerator to keep yourself motivated.
4. “Grow” your savings
One way to grow your savings is in the literal sense — by growing things you would otherwise buy. For example, you can start a small herb or container garden to reduce your grocery spending. This won’t necessarily lead to substantial savings, but it can be a fun and rewarding experience regardless.
5. Try a house-swap vacation
Hotel rooms can be expensive, so why not try a house swap for your next vacation? With a house swap, you exchange homes with another person or family for a set period, allowing both parties to stay in each other’s homes instead of booking hotels or rentals. You can house-swap with friends and family, or sign up for a service such as HomeExchange.
6. Take advantage of your local library
Your local library is one of the most underrated sources of savings. In addition to books and audiobooks, you can often rent movies, access streaming subscriptions, join free classes and workshops, and take advantage of free wi-fi and computers. These items don’t have to be purely educational, and you can find plenty of things that are more for entertainment purposes.
7. Randomize your savings
To keep things interesting, challenge yourself to save a random amount of money daily. You can do this by rolling a die and transferring the matching amount to savings each day. So, you might transfer $1, $2, $3, etc.
This simple idea can help you stay motivated since you don’t know how much money you will save until you roll, but it will always be a manageable amount. See how long you can keep the challenge going.
8. Guess your bills
Some bills, such as gas and electricity, are variable expenses that change based on usage. If your bills vary monthly, try guessing how much they will be before receiving them. Once you receive the bill, save the difference between your guess and the actual amount, whether your guess was higher or lower. This can be a fun way to get better at estimating your monthly expenses while building your cash reserves.
9. Barter with what you have
Bartering is the practice of trading goods and services instead of exchanging money. You may already have valuable items at home that you don’t necessarily need, which you can use to barter.
For example, if you started that home garden, you might be able to swap zucchinis and tomatoes with a neighbor who is willing to mow your lawn in exchange. Or give away the clothes your kids have outgrown to someone who can provide dog walking services.
10. Buy nothing
If you live in a big city, joining your local Buy Nothing group is a great idea. These Facebook groups allow locals to list items they want to give away for free — no payment, trading, or bartering allowed. All you have to do is pick them up.
To find a Buy Nothing group, visit BuyNothingProject.org or search “Buy Nothing [your town/neighborhood]” on Facebook. Once you’re in, you can either create a “give” post offering up anything you no longer need (like toys, clothes, and furniture), or create an “ask” post, where you request a specific item. Once you find someone, it’s up to you two to coordinate a pickup.
