Three Bend-area family members were arrested in Coos County Friday afternoon after evading police on nearly 30 child abuse charges.
Police said the three had been “hiding out in a hotel on the Oregon Coast.”
Sarah Session is facing 19 charges for alleged abuse against her 9-year-old stepson. Charging documents say she intentionally caused serious physical injury to the child and attempted to kill him.
Her parents, Gary and Paula Hardenburg, face criminal mistreatment charges for aiding and abetting the abuse. They’re also charged with tampering with evidence.
All three are accused of unlawfully and knowingly withholding necessary and adequate physical care and medical attention from the boy. The child is no longer in their custody.
Child abuse charges against Session had been dismissed almost a year ago. But Sgt. Jason Wall, with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, said the county district attorney’s office left the case open for investigators to take another look.
For months, detectives continued to look into the allegations. Earlier this month, they were able to provide a case that the district attorney found sufficient to bring charges.
“I think our detectives' hard work and diligence speak for themselves in the charging,” Wall said, “and hopefully we’re able to get justice for this young child.”
In each of the charges against Session, prosecutors noted that the abuse was “deliberately cruel” and that the degree of harm “was significantly greater than is typical for such an offense.” They also alleged that Session showed no remorse.
A grand jury indicted Session and the Hardenburgs on Tuesday. Together they face 28 charges related to the alleged abuse.
Just after noon on Friday, police announced that all three of them had been arrested in Coos Bay.
“The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office extends its thanks to all that assisted in locating these suspects and to those that affected the arrest,” Wall said in the announcement.