Sulphur couple charged with cruelty after 4-year-old found unresponsive

A Sulphur man and his live-in girlfriend have been charged with second-degree cruelty after 4-year-old boy was found unresponsive in their home.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kayla Vincent said officers were dispatched to a home on N. Claiborne Street at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Vincent said when detectives spoke with the father of the child, Scott A. Edwards, 26, and his live-in girlfriend, Jenna E. Morgan, 24, both of Sulphur, they gave conflicting stories on how the injuries may have occurred; none of which were consistent with the extent of the injuries the boy sustained.

Hospital personnel stated the boy suffered from injuries consistent with likely ongoing abuse occurring over a period of time — including multiple brain bleeds and bruising, all at various stages of healing, Vincent said.

After further investigation detectives issued a warrant signed by Judge Tony Fazzio Thursday for the arrest of Edwards and Morgan. They were arrested out of town, at the hospital, and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. They are both charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.

Their bonds have been set at $750,000 each.

The boy was transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to a hospital out of town due to the severity of his injuries. The child remains in ICU in critical condition. He has been placed in state custody by the Department of Children & Family Services.