By Patti Weaver
STILLWATER — A Cushing father accused of choking his 4-year-old who has a neurological condition and gets upset easily has been jailed on $100,000 bond pending his arraignment Wednesday on a child abuse charge.
Royal Alfred Rowden, 28, who also allegedly threatened to kill one of the family dogs, could be given as much as life in prison if convicted of grabbing the child by the neck and suspending the child in the air impeding breathing, court records show.
Cushing Police Officer Mandy Wright alleged in an affidavit that the child’s mother reported on March 17 that her 4-year-old had been abused by Rowden. She said that when the child got a splinter on March 15 and became upset, Rowden got very mad, the affidavit alleged.
She said she “told Royal (Rowden) that she would deal with the splinter tomorrow,” but he said, “no, got very mad, pushed (the 4-year-old) into the couch and put his hand around (the child’s) neck,” the affidavit alleged.
She said that “she threatened to stab Royal with the tweezers; Royal then told her he would cold cock her,” the affidavit alleged.
She said that when the child tried to get up and away, “as she was helping (the 4-year-old) get up, Royal grabbed (the child) and put (the child) in a choke hold, suspending the child in the air, choking the child again,” the affidavit alleged.
She said that the child tried to scream and cry, she tried to pull Rowden’s arms away from their child, and her two pit bulls attempted to bite Rowden, the affidavit alleged.
She said, “Royal dropped (the child) and picked up one of the dogs by the neck threatening to kill it. She stated that she got her child away and screamed at Royal ‘enough is enough.’
Royal dropped the dog and walked away,” the affidavit alleged.
She said that she took the 4-year-old and her other child, who had been hiding in a closet, into her bedroom, the affidavit alleged.
She said that on Sunday, when she took the 4-year-old into the bathroom, “she noticed bruising and red marks on (the child’s) face, neck and upper chest,” and took photos of the markings, the affidavit alleged.
When the child was interviewed on March 19 at the Saville Center for Child Advocacy in Stillwater, the child disclosed “dad broke my neck” and “dad choked me,” the affidavit alleged.
