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A Golden Valley man is behind bars for beating his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son so badly with a leash that his school was compelled to call the police.
Rufus Crump, 40, of Golden Valley, was arrested on Wednesday on felony child abuse charges after investigators determined that bruises found on his girlfriend’s son were the result of Crump’s beating him with a leash.
Officials at the boy’s school called police after finding bruises all over the boy’s back and rear end.
Trish Carter, spokeswoman for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, says the boy told investigators Crump got angry with him and began to beat him with the leash at the child’s home.
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We’re not talking about a tiny leash for a five-pound chihuahua, either. According to Carter, the boy was beaten with a lead rope for a horse.
“A lead rope is a big, thick rope with buckles,” Carter says. “Those buckles are big and could really do some damage.”
Crump is currently in the Mohave County Jail. Carter was unsure whether bail had been set.
