CINCINNATI — Three people are facing felony charges after an alleged assault on a 1-year-old child that resulted in an hour-long standoff with police in Queensgate.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in a news release Friday that 34-year-old Robert Fogle faces one count of child endangering and one count of felonious assault, which, if convicted, could mean up to eight years in prison.
Deters said two others -- the child's mother, Kayla Dragston, 32, and Mary Hensley, 32 -- also face child endangering charges along with drug charges. If convicted, Hensley could spend three years in jail, and Dragston could get up to six.
On March 19, Cincinnati police said Dragston left the infant with Fogle and Hensley in a room at the Quality Inn & Suites on West Eighth Street. At one point, Hensley left the room and, when she returned, found the child had suffered a severe injury.
When officers responded to the scene, they removed the child from the room and Fogle barricaded himself inside. A SWAT team later extracted him after incapacitating Fogle with a flash-bang.
The standoff brought traffic to a standstill on busy Eighth Street that Friday afternoon.
Shortly after the incident, Cincinnati police spokesman Lt. Steve Saunders said the relationship between the child, Fogle and Hensley was not clear, but he added that Fogle was not the infant's father.
"I can think of no greater evil in this world than seriously injuring an innocent little kid," Deters said in Friday's news release. "I am thankful that law enforcement was able to intervene before something even worse happened. We are praying for the victim in this case and will do all we can to get justice for her."
Information on the child's condition was not immediately available Friday afternoon. Police said she was hospitalized after the March 19 standoff.
