West Plains, MO. – A West Plains woman was arrested for child abuse in May for actions that were reported last year. Hena Faith Reeves is charged with Abuse or neglect of a child and endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation that began in August of 2022.
According to the probable cause statement, Reeves’ three-year-old child was interviewed by the Child Advocacy Center in West Plains. The child had a gash on the side of his head at the time. The child told the interviewer that his mother’s boyfriend, Steven Detwiler, who the boy called “Beven” due to his speech not being fully developed, had hit him with a belt. He went on to tell them that “Beven” and Reeves would fight, making punching with his hands to demonstrate. The child had been seen at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on August 15, 2022, for a gash on his head. The child had extensive bruising on his body and burn marks on part of his legs. The PC statement says these injuries are consistent with being struck with a belt.
A witness interviewed told authorities the child had told her that Detwiler had beaten him and Reeves told her she knew of the bruising and, quote “It is not just Steven. It is me too and I’m trying to do better.” A second witness reported a similar statement and a family member of Reeves told authorities they had seen her abusing the child.
A grand jury indicted Reeves on the charges on March 31, 2023, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was arrested on May 3rd and is being held in the Howell County Jail on a $75,000 cash or surety bond.
According to online court documents, Detwiler does not have a charge related to this case yet. He is currently on probation for an incident involving a felony DWI crash from 2021.
