LOGAN — A man and woman are facing child abuse charges after allegedly trying to deliver a baby at a homeless camp near the south end of Logan, according to law enforcement. Sam Hale Merritt, 42, and Carissa Nicole Mattox, 27, were reportedly found inside a tent with the new baby on Jan. 13, as temperatures were below 20 degrees.
According to the arrest affidavit, Logan City Police officers were called to conduct a welfare check to a small tent in an abandoned field behind a business, near 1100 S. Main St. Family members claimed that Mattox was pregnant and due soon.
When police arrived at the encampment, they learned Mattox had just given birth to a baby girl, with Merritt trying to deliver the child. Paramedics were called to the scene and transported the mother and daughter to the hospital.
Medical staff reported the baby’s body temperature was 92 degrees. She was also showing signs of nicotine withdrawals.
Merritt later told police and agents with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) that he and Mattox had been living in the tent for two years, getting money by panhandling at nearby stores. He reported they only had a small portion of baby formula and a blanket for the newborn.
Merritt explained how the two would cook food by occasionally plugging an electric skillet into nearby businesses. They would also boil water in a pan, wrap it in a cloth, to try and keep warm.
When law enforcement asked why the couple hadn’t sought for help from local organizations, Merritt said the groups were disrespectful of their situation.
Merritt was arrested and booked into the Cache County Jail, where he is currently being held without bail. He was later charged with one count of aggravated reckless child abuse, a third-degree felony.
Mattox was also arrested and booked into jail after being released from the hospital. She is also being held without bail on a charge of reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor.
In court documents, prosecutors noted the charges were based off the “dangerously low temperature of the baby upon arrival at the hospital,” and the man and woman’s refusal to seek help delivering the little girl.
Police reported the baby is currently in the care of DCFS.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.