Preliminary hearings have been scheduled for the Prague parents accused of abusing their twins who were born in November.
Joseph Carl Corum, 20, faces two charges of child abuse. His wife, Mina Starr Arnold, 19, is charged with two counts of enabling child abuse. They were formally charged in Lincoln County District in January.
The hearings are set for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26.
Corum and Arnold were arrested in early January and booked into the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler.
Sheriff Charlie Dougherty confirmed the two were booked into Lincoln County Jail in Chandler on Thursday, Jan. 2.
Both made their initial appearance before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk in early January and she ordered their bonds be set at $100,000 for each.
According to an affidavit, Corum and Arnold are identified as the biological parents of the twins.
The babies were born Nov. 16, 2019, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Shawnee, the affidavit states.
An investigator was called by a Department of Human Services supervisor to give him information about two babies who reportedly had been abused by their parents, the affidavit states.
It further states the babies initially were taken to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Shawnee. Corum and Arnold had left the hospital prior to DHS taking custody of the children who were five weeks old at the time.
The investigator was informed soon after the children were transported to Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. He went to Children’s Hospital, the information states, and met with a DHS supervisor and a nurse practitioner.
The affidavit says the investigator observed several areas on one child identified as J.C. and that J.C. had what appeared to be bruising on his arms and legs.
The other small baby, identified as L.C., was being held by a DHS worker in her arms. The investigator was told by both DHS and the nurse practitioner that L.C. may have possible brain bleeding. CT’s and an MRI were going to be performed, he related in the affidavit.
He was told by the nurse practitioner that the broken bones on J.C. were consistent with child abuse, the affidavit further stated.
The nurse practitioner took photographs of both babies and provided the investigator a copy of those.
The affidavit states the investigator went to the Prague residence of Corum and Arnold and talked with the family of Corum. He said while at the residence he talked with Corum’s brother and was told by the brother he had observed Corum violently shake or sling one of the newborn twins while at the Prague residence.
The affidavit says the brother also stated, “Joseph said he could do that because he was the child’s father.” Other family members reportedly expressed their concern for the children noting they, too, had observed what appeared to be injuries to the children.
The affidavit states that Arnold was strongly resistant to the children being taken to the hospital. It was further stated to investigators that Corum on Jan. 2 had later sent a text message to DHS threatening to kill DHS members.
In the affidavit, it states, “The injuries to the children are considered grave and heightened given their age, approximately five weeks old.”