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Grandmother charged as two Louisville toddlers suffer severe abuse, parents also arrested
A grandmother has been taken into custody after two young children arrived at a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Yvonne Shanks, 49, has been charged with criminal child abuse, assault, wanton endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Arrest records state Louisville Metro Police detectives were contacted by 3rd Division after a 2-year-old was brought to UofL Hospital Southwest on Thursday in full cardiac arrest.
The child had been privately transported to the hospital and 911 was not called, according to police. The child was resuscitated and transferred to Norton Children’s Hospital downtown.
Police say the child suffered multiple injuries including rib and skull fractures, missing teeth, extensive bruising, severe anemia, internal injuries and signs of malnourishment.
SVU detectives along with CPS went to the home in the 5500 block of Goldenrod Road in Valley Station to check on the other children and found a 1-year-old victim laying on the bed with “obvious signs of trauma” and called EMS.
Hospital staff said the toddler had three skull and a jawbone fracture, blood inside the skull, extremely underweight/emaciated, elevated liver enzymes, lacerations to both eyes and trauma to the nose and mouth.
Yvonne was taken into custody on Friday, according to LMPD.
The children’s parents, 27-year-old Nicholas Shanks and 25-year-old Shelby Kuntz, had been previously taken into custody by LMPD’s Special Victims Unit.
According to the arrest citation, both parents told investigators they were the only caregivers for the children.
Yvonne Shanks was arraigned Saturday morning and is being held on a $250,000 cash bond at Louisville Metro Corrections. According to the court, she cannot have contact with any minor children.
Nicholas Shanks and Shelby Kuntz face multiple charges including assault, criminal abuse, wanton endangerment, and endangering the welfare of a minor. They are being held on a $500,000 cash bond.
All three are expected to be back in court on Jan. 26.
Credit: WHAS11
