COLUMBUS, Ohio — As a 29-year-old Columbus woman faces charges for allegedly critically injuring her 9-month-old son, questions are surfacing about whether there were warning signs that were overlooked leading up to the incident.
Billie Jo Tustin has been charged with felonious assault after Franklin County prosecutors told a judge she admitted to abusing her infant son. Prosecutors said Tustin acknowledged throwing the child “shorter distances several times” in addition to slapping and spanking him when she became frustrated.
Tustin has had previous involvement with Franklin County Children Services. Her daughter had been placed in another person’s care for more than a year, though Tustin was scheduled to appear in court this week to argue she had made progress and no longer needed ag