VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) – A 24-year-old woman who admitted to brutally assaulting a four-year-old girl at an Emlenton residence will go to state prison for a period of from five and a half years to 20 years.
(Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)
According to court documents, Venango County President Judge Oliver J. Lobaugh on Monday, November 25, sentenced Brenda Rose Pritts, of Butler, to a minimum of five and a half years up to a maximum of twenty years confinement on one first-degree felony count of aggravated assault of a victim less than 13 by a person 18 or older.
She was given credit for 272 days of time served.
Pritts pleaded guilty to the above charge on July 29, 2019, in the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.
As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:
- Aggravated Assault — Victim Less Than 6 and Defendant 18 or Older, Felony 2
- Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3
- Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 1
She remains lodged in the Venango County Jail awaiting transfer to a state correctional facility.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred in December of 2017.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint filed by Trooper Haun at Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland’s office, the investigation was initiated on December 12, 2017, after police received a report of a 4-year-old girl being assaulted in Emlenton Borough.
The victim was transported to Clarion Hospital for treatment of a fractured femur and multiple cuts, scrapes, and bruises to her head, face, neck, arms, legs, stomach, and back.
State Police responded to 307 7th Street in Emlenton that same day and interviewed multiple persons at the residence, including Brenda Pritts.
At that time, Pritts told investigators that the injuries were a result of the victim accidentally falling down the stairs inside the home, according to the criminal complaint.
Following further investigation, a forensic interview was conducted with the victim on February 5, 2019, at the Butler County Child Advocacy Center. The victim was brought to the interview by her caretaker.
Forensic Interviewer Sue Counts conducted the interview.
During the interview, the victim stated: “I am telling you the truth because I know what she did. I opened my eyes when I was sleeping in my bed and Brenda came up to my door. She was just quiet and took me off my bed and hit me on the floor. She covered my mouth and threw me down the steps and woke my dad up.”
“She covered my mouth and I could not breath,” said the victim during the interview.
The criminal complaint states that Pritts is also accused of throwing the victim against a wall on approximately two occasions and “beating the victim’s head and face off of the bedroom floor for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.”
Pritts was interviewed by Trooper Haun on February 27, 2019, at the Franklin State Police barracks.
The complaint indicates that Pritts became emotional when Trooper Haun asked her how the victim suffered her injuries.
Trooper Haun said Pritts eventually admitted to assaulting the victim at the 307 7th Street residence on December 12, 2017.
“She does not remember a lot of what she did to the victim, but does remember throwing her off the wall on at least two occasions,” said Trooper Haun in the complaint.
“She remembers grabbing the victim with both of her hands on each side of her face/head, and beating her head off the floor in the bedroom.”
“I asked the accused how long this abuse lasted in the bedroom and she stated: ‘probably 10 to 15 minutes.'”
When Trooper Haun asked Pritts to explain how she threw the victim down the steps, Pritts said: “If I threw her down the steps, I do not remember throwing her down the steps.”
She then stated, “I regret the things I did to (the victim) every day of my life.”
Pritts was taken into custody and arraigned before Judge Kirtland on February 27, 2019, at 3:36 p.m.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Some details were withheld from this article to help protect the identity of the victim.
