Inset, left to right: Kim Brown-Barfield and Julie Barfield (Franklin County Jail). Background: The area in Ohio where the couple allegedly abused their children (Google Maps).
Two women in Ohio who reported two of their children missing this week were arrested after it was revealed that the kids allegedly ran away from home due to severe physical abuse.
Julie Barfield, 47, and Kim Brown-Barfield, 43, were taken into custody and charged with one count each of endangering children and felonious assault, court records show.
The investigation began Sunday night when the suspects noticed that two of their adopted children, ages 8 and 10, were missing from their home in the 1400 block of Pine Street in south Columbus around 11 p.m., local ABC affiliate WSYX reported. Brown-Barfield reportedly drove around the neighborhood searching for them for about two hours before calling authorities and reporting them missing.
Deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office located the children on a nearby street after being flagged down by a resident. The children reportedly told the deputy that they fled the home because they were being physically abused by their parents, identified as Barfield and Brown-Barfield.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the deputy observed that one of the children had a bloody lip and marks on their stomach, Columbus CBS affiliate WBNS reported. The child told the deputy that those specific injuries came from being slammed into a wall earlier that day.
Detectives took the children to Nationwide Children's Hospital for emergency medical evaluations. While there, the 10-year-old reportedly detailed how her parents would beat the kids with a belt, tie their hands behind their backs, and systematically starve them as forms of punishment.
The children also reported to hospital staff that they had been burned by hot water earlier that day, Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH reported.
Detectives and Franklin County Children Services officials later went to the Pine Street home, where they allegedly recovered several pieces of evidence before transporting the parents to the Franklin County Detective Bureau for formal interviews.
During the interrogations, the women reportedly gave detectives what court documents described as "soft admissions." Both suspects allegedly admitted to "witnessing and being involved in the physical abuse of the children during their care," according to court documents. The suspects were then arrested.
Following the arrests, Franklin County Children's Services personnel reportedly took custody of four other children inside the home, ranging in age from 1 to 11. An agency spokesperson called the felony charges "concerning" in a statement to WBNS but noted that the kids had not been in the agency's care prior to the incident.
A judge set bond at $750,000 for both women on Wednesday and issued a court order prohibiting them from having contact with the children and each other. Both defendants are due back in court for a preliminary hearing on May 29.