Two Prince William County residents were charged with felony child abuse after, police said, they beat their 8-year-old son so badly that he ran away from home.
On Monday, police responded to a call regarding a found child on Glen Meadow Lane in Bristow just before 1 a.m. The caller told police that an 8-year-old boy had rung their doorbell and seemed lost. Fire and rescue workers found that the boy had “severe bruising all over his body consistent with physical abuse,” according to police.
Four-and-a-half hours later, the boy’s mother called police to report him missing, police said. After an investigation, police determined that the boy had been allegedly beaten on Sunday and left home as a result. The investigation also determined that the boy had allegedly been abused on “a constant basis” for an unspecified period of time.
Amy Sweeney, 41, and Matthew Sweeney, 39, both of Bristow, were both charged with felony child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both have been released on a $20,000 unsecured bond.
