Tammi Reneigh Sawtelle, 55, of Park Hills, was charged this week in St. Francois County with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child.
According to a probable cause statement, from Dec. 25 through Feb. 16, several incidents of abuse reportedly occurred between a male and his guardian, Sawtelle, while they were staying at the Holiday Inn in Farmington after their Park Hills house burned down Dec. 23.
The report states the teen was washing clothes from the burnt residence at the hotel laundry facility. While cleaning the clothes, Sawtelle reportedly did not believe that the boy had used laundry detergent and made him rewash the clothes.
The teen reportedly told investigators that Sawtelle still didn't believe that he had used laundry detergent after washing the laundry a second time. Sawtelle allegedly became angry and started screaming that the "Holy Spirit" told her the boy did not use laundry detergent.
Sawtelle reportedly became enraged and started slapping and punching the teen in the face with a closed fist, causing him physical pain, according to the statement.
On a separate occasion, the boy told investigators that Sawtelle began slapping him on the back several times because he forgot to hang up his towel, and that caused him physical pain as well.
Another time, while they were still residing in their Park Hills home, the teen reported that Sawtelle slapped him in the face, causing his lip to bleed.
Sawtelle was taken into custody at the St. Francois County Jail on Friday, where she is currently being held without bond.
The police report filed in the case states that there are multiple additional reports currently under review in which Sawtelle is accused of abusing several other victims. The filing indicates that law enforcement is interviewing other individuals who have continued coming forward to report on the abuse allegedly suffered at the hands of Sawtelle.
Criminal records show that Sawtelle was convicted in 2019 of third-degree domestic assault in St. Francois County. The case was suspended, and she was placed on five years of supervised probation. The court records indicate that a probation violation in the case was filed on Monday.
Sawtelle is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for an initial hearing in the newly filed case.
The charges against the woman come just weeks after her husband, 54-year-old Jeffrey Sawtelle, was charged in St. Francois County with two counts of first-degree statutory rape involving a person less than 14 years of age.
According to a probable cause statement filed in the case against the man, on or between Aug. 1-31, 2019, a female less than 14 years old told police she was in a bedroom upstairs when Jeffrey Sawtelle entered the room and began forcing himself onto her.
The man allegedly performed two sex acts on the child, who later reportedly recalled to police that the acts lasted about two minutes but felt like they lasted forever. She said Jeffrey Sawtelle then threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
Jeffrey Sawtelle was booked at the St. Francois County Jail on Feb. 18, where he remains in custody without bond.
The police report noted that the man has two minor children residing within his household.
Court records show that Jeffrey Sawtelle pleaded guilty in St. Francois County in September 2018 to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk (first offense - no sexual conduct). The man received a four-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on five years of supervised probation. A probation violation in the case was filed in court on Feb. 22, according to records.
Jeffrey Sawtelle is scheduled to appear in court on April 5 for a preliminary hearing in the case.
