4 arrested for beating pregnant teen to trigger abortion
DALLAS — Four people have been arrested for engaging in organized crime in the torture of a teenager.
According to court documents, family members allegedly beat a pregnant 14-year-old girl at a home in Dallas between January and March 2013, in order to force an abortion.
There were several adults in the house who were upset with the girl's pregnancy. They had learned the girl was pregnant by a relative and wanted to get rid of the baby, so they allegedly beat the girl until she aborted, court documents said.
According to a court documents, family members first tried to give her multiple doses of birth control pills; then "Plan B" pills, also known as the morning-after pill, and cinnamon tablets.
The assault occurred in the living room of Sharon Jones, 45. A witness told police that Cecila McDonald, 25, pinned the girl's "arms down to the floor as Accomplice Lonnell McDonald sat on the complainant's stomach and began repeatedly bouncing up and down. Accomplice Sharon Jones called suspect Cedric Jones Jr. and told him to come over to the house."
Lonnell McDonald, 27, then allegedly told Jones when he arrived that "he had already been kicking" the teen.
According to court documents, the suspects continued to beat, punch, and kick the girl in the stomach.
The assault caused serious bodily injury to the girl. According to the arrest affidavit, Cecila McDonald did not want Child Protective Services involved because the girl was underage and pregnant and she feared she would lose her children. She was heard yelling, "(Expletive), you ain't about to get my kids taken away from me."
The girl then began "throwing up and having severe cramps," the affidavit said. In addition, it said:
"She was uncontrollably pushing and delivered what she believed was a stillborn baby ... Accomplice Cecila McDonald entered the bathroom and placed the baby in a white plastic mop bucket and removed it from the room."
"At some point after the assault, the baby was placed in a short, pill-shaped, black metal charcoal grill and attempted to burn it."
The affidavit said the family members then plotted to dispose of the body.
"Accomplice Sharon Jones contacted suspect Cedric Jones Jr. approximately two days later and offered to pay him $25 if he would take care of the rest of it. Suspect Cedric Jones, along with a witness, returned to the location at which time Suspect Cedric Jones Jr. placed the remains in a dark green plastic bag with a red drawstring, placed it in his trunk, and stashed the remains in an unknown location."
The four are charged with engaging in criminal activity because it enhances the charge from an aggravated assault. Police can use that charge when more than two people are involved in beating and, in this case, a cover-up.
Bond for each suspect was set at $150,000.