4 accused in ‘whoopings’ of Beavercreek child indicted

John Wesley Cantrell III, left, Tchanavian Janelle Cantrell, center, Tammara Ann Moreland

Credit: Greene County Jail

Credit: Greene County Jail

John Wesley Cantrell III, left, Tchanavian Janelle Cantrell, center, Tammara Ann Moreland

Two women and a man indicted this week are accused of using belts to beat a child at their Beavercreek home.

John Wesley Cantrell III, 36, Tchanavian Janelle Cantrell, 35, and Tammara Ann Moreland, 36, are in the Greene County Jail awaiting arraignment for felony endangering children (aggravated assault) in Greene County Common Pleas Court.

They were arrested Thursday morning by Greene County Sheriff’s deputies, jail records show.

A fourth suspect in the case, Marquette Antionette Cantrell, 35, was indicted Oct. 28 for felonious assault and endangering children. She remains out on bond, court records show.

An investigation began in mid-October after a child showed up at a Beavercreek school a week after the district was told she was going to be home schooled. When the girl found out she was being picked up, she ran outside and into a wooded area nearby, according to an affidavit filed in Fairborn Municipal Court, which handles court services for Beavercreek.

Deputies were called, who quickly found the girl hiding in a tree line near the school. The child said she did not want to go home because she was being abused, according to court documents, and the sheriff’s office contacted Greene County Children Services.

The child told a caseworker she received “whoopings” anytime something went wrong and that the defendants used a black belt, metal belt and brown belt. During an interview at Michael’s House Child Advocacy Center, the girl said she recently received about 200 “licks” because she didn’t do chores correctly. The child also reported that alcohol was poured on the sores and that other children in the home were made to watch, according to court documents.

“Throughout the interview (the child) stated, ‘They abuse us, all of us,’” the documents stated.

The Cantrells and Moreland were arrested Oct. 21 and Greene County Children Services removed 13 children from the home. All four defendants posted bond Oct. 25, records show.

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