RUSSELL SPRINGS, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two people have been arrested amid a criminal child abuse investigation in Russell Springs, Kentucky.
27-year-old Emily McKinney and 30-year-old Joe Johnson were arrested following the incident in which it was originally reported that an "unknown stray dog" had attacked a 10-month-old child on March 12, according to the Kentucky State Police.
Police say that the attack resulted in the child being taken first to the Russell County Hospital and then to the University of Kentucky Hospital with serious injuries.
First responders in Russell County attempted to find the dog but were unable to.
On Friday, March 15, Troopers went to a home on Bluebird Drive in Russell Springs to talk with the child's mother, identified as McKinney, and her boyfriend, Johnson.
The investigation determined that the dog that attacked the child was not a stray but actually belonged to McKinney and Johnson. The KSP release says that Johnson hid the dog's location after the incident, resulting in first responders looking for a dog that did not exist.
McKinney was charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child aged 12 or under, endangering the welfare of a minor, and false reporting that resulted in an emergency response.
Johnson was charged with tampering with physical evidence and false reporting that resulted in an emergency response.
Both McKinney and Johnson were taken to the Russell County Detention Center, and an investigation is ongoing.
