Mother of abused infant going to trial June 24; date will be set for boyfriend
Published 1:16 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Kevin Hanson, The Courier-Herald
Those responsible for the horrendous injuries suffered by little Angelina Marie Oakley will soon go to trial for their crimes.
Still sitting behind bars, where they've been for the past six weeks, are 19-year-old Kayla Oakley, the little girl's mother, and 18-year-old Joshua Folk, her boyfriend.
The two face charges stemming from a case of abuse that stunned the Enumclaw community. The baby sustained 11 broken bones during a series of assaults, discovered when she was taken to Enumclaw Community Hospital. She was just seven months old at the time.
Within a few days, Folk admitted to Enumclaw police he had caused the injuries. Oakley was arrested a day later for her role in the crimes.
During a case-setting hearing last week, it was announced Oakley will go on trial June 24 in King County Superior Court. A spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office said it has not been determined if she will go in front of a jury or whether she will have a bench trial, where a judge decides innocence or guilt.
Oakley is charged with third-degree criminal mistreatment and rendering criminal assistance. The first charge stems from the fact that she witnessed Folk's alleged abuse of the child and did nothing to stop him. The second charge came when she lied to police in an attempt to protect her boyfriend during the investigation.
Folk's case-setting hearing had also been planned for last week, but was delayed until June 15. He is charged with first-degree assault of a child.
The situation began the morning of April 13, when young Angelina (born Aug. 27, 2003) was taken to Enumclaw Community Hospital by her mother, grandparents and Folk. Hospital staff recognized the severity of the baby's injuries and notified Enumclaw police. After X-rays were taken, and it was determined the girl had suffered 11 broken bones, the child was airlifted to Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. There, she underwent emergency surgery for her injuries.
Nearly a week later, Folk admitted to police that on five occasions on April 12, over the span of perhaps 12 hours, he had physically assaulted the baby. He said he had slammed the baby to the floor three times and, on two occasions, lifted the child to his shoulders before dropping her to the floor.
Explaining his actions, Folk said he could not stand to hear the baby crying. The wailing, he said, made him angry.
The situation has brought an outpouring of support from the community. The Enumclaw Police Officers Association opened an "Enumclaw's Baby" fund at Washington Mutual with a $1,000 contribution. The account has reportedly swelled to more than $11,000, largely thanks to a recent benefit concert and auction that brought in approximately $7,200.
The child is reportedly recovering from her injuries and remains in Enumclaw in the care of her maternal grandmother.
Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald
