A Woodville woman has been arrested and charged after her young daughter told authorities that her mother slammed her head into a wall, leaving her with visible injuries. Katherine Bernice Crosby, 39, was taken into custody on July 9 and charged with injury to a child, following an investigation by Tyler County deputies and Child Protective Services (CPS).
The investigation began on June 6, when an investigator noticed bruising around a child’s eye and eyebrow area. When asked about the injuries, the child replied, “My mom did this to me and it hurt really bad,” according to arrest documents. The child further explained that her mother had initially put her in timeout.
Later, she said, Crosby grabbed her by the ponytail and slammed her head into a wall, which caused the bruising and the black eye. In an interview with the investigator, Crosby admitted to the act, demonstrating the incident just as the child described. Afterward, she reportedly asked, “What can I not do that?” according to the affidavit.
On June 26, a follow-up interview with the child and her siblings revealed attempts by Crosby to influence their statements. The children claimed that Crosby had instructed them to lie about the incident. Specifically, the child victim was told to say she fell on a brick, according to KLTV.
The affidavit records the child asking investigators, “Wait, was I supposed to say that I tripped on a brick because that is what mom said to say, or am I supposed to say that I hit my head on the tin outside?” Investigators noted this as clear evidence of coaching and coercion by Crosby and possibly her boyfriend.
During a CPS meeting the next day, Crosby reportedly challenged the official account and tried to control the narrative. According to the document, she told the investigator,
“Ask the girls again, in front of me, what happened… they will all tell you that I did not do anything.” Crosby was subsequently arrested and booked into the Tyler County Jail, where she remains in custody. Her bond has been set at $125,000.
Authorities have not released further details on the children’s current welfare, but the case remains under investigation by CPS and local law enforcement.