2 women sentenced in Springfield child abuse case

SPRINGFIELD — Two women who pleaded guilty to charges connected to a Springfield child abuse investigation earlier this year now know how long they’ll have to serve.

Amber Cave, 27, and Haley Jones, 30, were sentenced in Clark County Common Pleas Court Tuesday morning. It came after they both pleaded guilty to charges last month.

Cave pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering children in Sept. 20, according to court records. She was sentenced Monday to 12-15 years in prison.

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Jones pleaded guilty to one of tampering with evidence in September and was sentenced Monday to thee years of community control.

Cave was first arrested in March after police launched and investigation into suspected child abuse that left her two sons “very seriously” injured. Jones was interviewed as part of the investigation.

News Center 7 previously reported that police opened an investigation after responding to the home Cave was staying at in the 2100 block of Morgan Street in late March. Officers were sent there after getting a 911 call about a 2-year-old with low body temperatures, according to court records.

Cave told police she was giving the 2-year-old a bath and her 3-year-old turned the water from warm to cold.

Cave’s roommate, later identified as Jones, called 911 after she and Cave were unable to warm the 2-year-old up.

The 2-year-old was wrapped in blankets and taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center, where police found the child “appeared to be malnourished and badly bruised.”

The child had “a large green/yellow bruise above his left eye.” He also had other bruises throughout his body and a lump on his head, according to court records.

Cave told police the 2-year-old easily bruised and had other issues with his health. She said she thought some of the health issues were related to her separation from the boy’s father, who hadn’t seen the toddler in over a year.

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Court records showed that Cave told police “she has no clue how long it’s been since (the 2-year-old) has seen a doctor, due to COVID.”

After the 2-year-old was transferred from Springfield Regional Medical Center to Dayton Children’s Hospital, police checked on Cave’s 3-year-old son.

Cave “was afraid to go to Dayton Children’s due to CPS taking (the 2-year-old) the previous time there,” court records read.

Officers “immediately observed a red mark on his forehead, large yellow bruising on his left cheek, a bruise near the middle of his back, and scratches on his right shin,” court records showed about the 3-year-old. He also had other bruising all over his body.

The 3-year-old ended up needing medical help as well and was taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital. Both kids were admitted to the intensive care section of the hospital, records show.

Cave was released, but was later arrested with Jones by Springfield Police and the U.S. Marshals Service Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team in April.

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