An Odebolt woman has been placed on probation, and an Odebolt man is heading to a jury trial on child endangerment and neglect charges for life-threatening injuries sustained on a then 26-day-old infant. According to Sac County District Court Records, on July 1 of last year, Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove reported a possible abuse of a child when a 26-day-old infant was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, Neb. for a subdural hemorrhage, bruising covering both infant’s eyes, on the nose and brow bone. Parents of the child, 31-year-old Rebecca Lorraine Melby and 29-year-old Jasper James Symons, both admitted to noticing the bruising earlier that day but neglected to seek medical treatment for the infant. When confronted, Symons provided three stories about the cause of the injuries. At the same time, both Symons and Melby left the child with Melby’s sister to go to Denison for groceries before returning to seek medical attention at Horn Memorial Hospital. Melby has entered a plea of guilty neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, a class C felony. The judgment has been deferred, and Melby has been placed on probation for a period of two years. Symons has pleaded not guilty and faces a jury trial on Dec. 10. Symons has been released from custody after posting a $20,000 unsecured bond. Symons faces two felony charges of child endangerment causing serious injury and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, both class C. If convicted, both charges can face a combined sentence of up to 20 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
