Tempe parents accused of abusing their 4- and 12-year-old sons

PHOENIX — Two Tempe parents were indicted on child abuse charges in early December, according to authorities.

Demetrius Jones, 32, and Brittney Shaque Furch, 34, were accused of severely abusing their two children, according to a Tuesday news release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).

A grand jury in Maricopa County accused Jones and Furch of six counts of child abuse. Two of the counts are class two felonies and the other four are class four felonies.

Why Tempe parents were indicted on child abuse charges

Jones and Furch allegedly put their two children in “circumstances likely to produce death or serious physical injury” on or between Nov. 24 and Nov. 25, according to court documents.

The first count alleged Furch and Jones submerged one child in a bathtub, while the second count alleges they wrapped a purse strap and/or a string around their other child’s body.

Those were the two class two felony counts, while the next four charges fell under class four felonies.

The third count alleged Furch and Jones inflicted mouth injuries upon one child, while the fourth count alleges they hurt the other child through a spatula and/or fingers in the throat, according to court documents.

Authorities also accused Furch and Jones of inflicting external head bruises on both children, which led to the fifth and sixth counts, according to court documents.

“From the information we have, these defendants recently moved to Arizona and have no prior record of child abuse offenses in Maricopa County,” MCAO spokesperson Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes told KTAR News 92.3 FM.