ROWAN COUNTY — Detectives with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office began investigating an alleged assault on Monday, June 29, involving a young child after the incident was reportedly discovered during a routine review of detention center records.
Surveillance video from the Rowan County Detention Center Annex, located at 400 Grace Church Road, reportedly showed 29-year-old Katelyn Gail Russell in the public lobby participating in a video visitation with an inmate on June 28. Russell was accompanied by her 2-year-old son, and no other members of the public were present in the lobby at the time.
According to the investigation, the video shows Russell becoming upset with the child before striking him in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the floor. Russell then picked the child up and left the lobby, moving out of the camera’s view.
Detectives later conducted a welfare check on the child and determined he had not sustained any visible injuries. However, based on the surveillance footage and additional evidence gathered during the investigation, detectives obtained a warrant charging Russell with one count of misdemeanor child abuse.
The Rowan County Department of Social Services was notified as part of the investigation. Russell was arrested on July 1. She was issued a $3,000 secured bond, which has since been posted. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.
