A woman was charged with aggravated child abuse after kicking her 5-year-old daughter, breaking her leg

| by Travis Uresk | May 17^th, 2026 |

Vernal, Utah (5/16/2026)—Vernal Police responded to the Ashley Regional Medical Center on a report of a child abuse incident.

When the police arrived, the medical staff informed them that the victim was a 5-year-old female. The father and mother told medical staff that the mother had kicked the child. Due to the statements made by the parents, the medical staff separated the mother from the father and child and called for police to respond.

Medical staff advised the police that the child was complaining of pain in her right leg and had several bruises. After x-rays and treatment, the medical staff advised Officer Anderton that the child had suffered a broken leg due to being kicked.

The officer met with the father, who told Officer Anderton that the incident occurred at their residence. He explained he heard a loud noise coming from his daughter's bedroom. He went to investigate what the noise was and found his wife kicking their 5-year-old daughter.

The father told his wife to stop, picked up and held his daughter, and told his wife he was going to call the police and take the child to the emergency room. He told police that his wife, 31-year-old Jessica Michelle Carter, tried to talk him out of calling the police, but he told her, "No."

The two took their child to the ER, and while there, Jessica took responsibility for her actions and reported the incident to hospital staff.

Officer Anderton spoke with Jessica, who explained that she heard a loud thump in her daughter's room. As she went to investigate the noise, she saw the 5-year-old run out of the bedroom. She seemed unharmed, but as she looked into the bedroom, Jessica saw her other daughter (3 years old) lying on the floor, crying.

As Jessica picked up her 3-year-old, she asked what had happened. The three-year-old told Jessica that her sister pushed her off the window seal.

Jessica told the officer she put the 3-year-old on the bed and left the room to find the 5-year-old.

She stated that when she found the 5-year-old victim, she picked her up and threw the child onto the hard flooring of the home to cause the child harm. She then explained that she was standing as she did this and, from her midsection, threw the child to the floor. Jessica told the officer she was so mad that she began to kick her daughter while she was on the floor and did not stop until her husband stopped her.

Officer Anderton could see the bruising on the child's leg, and when the blanket was very softly moved off the little girl's leg, it caused the child to scream in pain.

Due to the statements made by the father and Jessica and the fact that the medical staff was able to provide information about the child's injuries, Jessica was arrested for 1st degree Felony child abuse.