ELKINS, West Virginia — Three children finally spoke up. And what they described inside the Child Advocacy Center on May 18 was enough to send a Randolph County woman to jail on serious child abuse charges.
Sara Daniels, 36, now faces three counts of child abuse resulting in injury — one for each child who told investigators she had been hurting them for some time.
What the children told investigators
The three siblings — ages 9, 11, and 14 — were each interviewed separately by a certified interviewer with West Virginia State Police present.
All three gave the same account independently. They said Daniels grabbed them by the throat, struck them, and made repeated threats against their lives.
The most alarming moment all three children described was the same: Daniels chasing the 14-year-old through the home with a knife.
The 9-year-old also told the interviewer that Daniels looked at the oldest child and said, “I’ll cut your brother and sister’s throat if you leave.”
Scars, reckless driving, and words no child should hear
During the interview, the certified interviewer noticed a visible scar on the 11-year-old. The child said Daniels caused it by slamming her head into a door.
The children also described an incident where Daniels and her boyfriend, both allegedly on drugs, drove their vehicles into each other — nearly hitting the 9-year-old in the process.
Perhaps the most disturbing detail in the court documents involves the 14-year-old. The children said Daniels told the teenager she “wished she would have died” — and went further, saying she would help the girl “make sure she did it right the next time.”
Where the case stands
Daniels is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Her bond is set at $30,000 cash only.
The case remains under investigation. The children are no longer in the home.
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