Inset: Mason Williams. Background: High Ridge, Missouri, neighborhood where Williams allegedly abused his girlfriend’s kids, ages 5 and 2 (KDSK).
Authorities in Missouri are on the lookout for a 24-year-old man who is believed to have mistreated his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son, 2-year-old daughter, and the family dog.
The man, named Mason Williams, is facing numerous charges which include 11 counts each of child abuse, domestic assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and animal abuse. The alleged incidents took place between April 16 and May 8 at the family’s residence in High Ridge, a suburb of St. Louis.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit, deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office stated that the abuse was recorded on a camera inside the house. The first reported incident involved the family dog, where Williams tried to command the dog to go outside but it did not comply.
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“I’ll f—ing snipe you in your God damn [inaudible],” Williams allegedly heard saying on the video.
As the dog runs past him, Williams grabs it by the neck and holds it down. The dog is heard yelping multiple times, deputies wrote. A witness told cops Williams threw the dog against a kitchen table, per the affidavit.
The first alleged abuse incident involving the children occurred on April 28. Williams angrily entered the boy’s bedroom and “aggressively picks up” the boy by his collar and repeatedly hit the boy on his backside, the affidavit said. The victim was “crying hysterically,” cops noted. Williams also nearly suffocated the girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter by shoving a cloth down her mouth.
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Other assaults occurred when the boy apparently wasn’t doing anything wrong such as watching TV or eating fruit, according to the affidavit. Cops said Williams repeatedly hit the boy in the backside during each assault.
“Victim 1 was screaming, crying and begging him not to be hit,” cops wrote.
During another incident, Williams allegedly grabbed the victim by his neck and started “violently shaking” his head while screaming at him to “f—ing stop.” The suspect then slammed the boy on a bean bag chair, the affidavit said.
On May 2, Williams allegedly held the boy upside down by the ankles, walked him to the window and threatened to throw him out. The suspect held the boy suspended in the air for several minutes while calling him derogatory names, deputies say.
Local NBC affiliate KDSK spoke with neighbors who were stunned by the allegations.
“You never know what goes on behind closed doors,” Debbie Weggenmen told the TV station. “That’s too bad. It’s really too bad. Makes me sad.”
Anyone with information on Williams’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 636-797-5000.
