Woman Charged With Child Neglect, Abuse After Teenager’s Suicide Attempt

A metro woman has been charged with child abuse and neglect following a teenager's suicide attempt.

The incident happened at a southwest Oklahoma City apartment late last month where police found the teen and her siblings living in squalor.

According to police records, a 16-year-old living at the apartment complex was ready to end her life.

“We had a caller call 911 stating there was an individual in a second story window threatening to jump out of the window,” Oklahoma City Police Department Asst. PIO Dillon Quirk said.          

Concerned neighbors and police convinced her things would be OK.

“This individual was talked down,” Quirk said.

Police said the teen was distraught.

“This juvenile was alleging that they and their siblings were undergoing child abuse and physical abuse,” Quirk said.

The children claimed they suffered at the hands of 34-year-old Brianna Hale. The teenager told police Hale “punches and kicks them, does not let them go outside and has multiple personalities…” and “accuses her and her sisters of being demons or robots.”

The sisters missed school often. Records showed they missed several weeks of class.

Officers said they uncovered a mountain of filth inside the apartment and more than a dozen dogs.

“There was animal feces inside, there was half eaten food, complete filth where no one should be subjected to living in,” Quirk said.

Court records showed Hale told police a litter of puppies had all died and that "she had been throwing them in the apartment dumpster."

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services took custody of the girls.

“Our officers do a great job of getting to the core of what’s going on with the person and not just making it a routine call but figuring out what's going on emotionally with that person and how we can help,” Quirk said.

It is our policy to provide resources for anybody considering self-harm when reporting about a situation involving suicide or a suicide attempt. 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.

The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) connect veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.

Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.