McMINNVILLE, Ore. (KOIN 6) – Michael Abo, a fomer Yamhill County reserve deputy, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison for beating a 4-year-old boy and causing permanent, life-altering damage.
Abo entered a guilty plea Wednesday in Yamhill County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree assault and will spend 7.5 years in prison for causing serious physical injury to his girlfriend’s child that resulted in brain swelling and permanent damage. Abo is not the biological father of the child, police said.
As Abo was led into the courtroom, dressed in slacks and a gray polo, the mother of his victim, Brandy Robertson, cried uncontrollably. She clutched a small stuffed animal. Family, friends and a victim’s support specialist did their best to comfort her.
Robertson and Abo were romantically involved at the time.Child’s life threatening injuries
On New Year’s Eve 2013, the Sheridan Fire Department responded to the Abo residence in the 400 block of Northwest Evans Street. Emergency dispatchers told paramedics that a 4-year-old boy had been injured severely. He was later Life Flighted to a Portland hospital.
The sheriff’s office was the first to arrive on scene. Abo told a deputy the boy fell from the stairwell, did not see the child fall and only heard the thump. Abo said he found the boy lying on his back at the bottom of the stairwell.
Investigators traveled to Oregon Health & Science University that night to speak with doctors.They learned the child had a severe brain injury. Doctors noted in their reports the boy had bruising to his right and left legs, his left arm, stomach area, upper and lower back, left eye, forehead, and pelvic area. Doctors told police that the boy also had seven broken ribs and internal injuries to his bowel and large intestine.
The injuries were caused by blunt force trauma, according to doctors. Medical staff said the brain injury “would not be consistent with a fall from a stairwell,” court documents state.
When he was questioned by detectives at the hospital, Abo denied hurting the child. He maintained that the child fell from the stairwell inside the family’s home. He could not provide detectives with an explanation for the numerous bruises and internal injuries.
Robertson told detectives Abo did not allow her to bathe or clothe the child. According to court records, he also refused to wipe the boy after a bowel movement. Then Abo tried to explain to Robertson that the boy’s bruising was caused while teaching the boy how to wrestle.‘You destroyed my baby’s life’
Robertson read a lengthy statement to the judge and court. She described the horrific sight of having to walk into the hospital room to see her son lying on the bed hooked up to dozens of tubes. She described seeing a “huge” piece of her son’s skull missing.
“I hope you pay in hell for this,” she said. “I hope those images and sounds of my son’s scream haunt you.”
Currently, the boy’s mother is working to get harsher sentencing guidelines for those convicted of child abuse.
As she read her statement, she dropped her to knees, pleading for the judge to give Abo a longer sentence.
“I will never be able to watch my son go out and play sports or go on a date,” she said.
As tears flowed, she spoke directly to Abo and called him a monster. “Where was the man who was supposed to serve and protect?” she asked.
She described being threatened by Abo and at one point using her cell phone to look up definitions of child abuse and nanny cameras because she feared Abo was abusing her son.
“You’re a psychopath,” she said.Child’s recovery: ‘wants to be in kindergarten’
The child’s family law attorney, Meghan S. Bishop, told the judge that the boy will need caring for the rest of his life. She said that he wants to be like a normal child going to kindergarten and eventually to prom, “but he won’t be able to.”
The boy is experiencing post-traumatic stress. Bishop said the boy is slowly recovering, but has suffered life-altering injuries.
“He is now talking, he is walking, talking and going to school,” Bishop said.
The boy’s grandmother said the child is taking the bus to school, and that the family is doing everything they can to help him heal as they take care of him in Washington State.Liberated from demons
Judge John L. Collins praised Robertson for letting out her “demons” in court Wednesday. In January 2014, the Yamhill County grand jury indicted her with one count each of first-degree criminal mistreatment and recklessly endangering another. She pleaded guilty late last month to two counts of second-degree criminal mistreatment.
Robertson admitted that she unlawfully and intentionally or knowingly withheld care for her child or medical attention. Robertson said she’s not happy about what happened, but she accepted responsibility and is now working to change her ways. As part of her plea deal, she is in the process of serving a short amount of jail time.
She said she should have known about the abuse and should have reported it. She described her fear of Abo who reportedly threatened her.‘I’m really sorry’
Abo went to work for the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office as a civilian employee in December 2007. In August 2008, he was re-classified as a “Deputy Sheriff” according to the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. He stayed in that position until he was discharged from the agency in November 2012.
Abo spoke briefly in court, telling Collins that he is “really sorry” for his actions. He went on to tell the court that “not a day goes by” when he doesn’t think about the boy and his actions. He said he prays daily that the boy continues to heal.
Collins said, “I cannot think of words that fully encompass the depth of harm that was inflicted by you.” He said if he had the option he would sentence Abo to more than life in prison because “you imposed a life sentence on (the boy.)”
Collins also told Abo he has more introspection to do.‘We need to change the law’
Robertson said she and her family have created an online petition that she hopes gets enough signatures so it will be sent to state lawmakers. She said she wants to see tough sentencing guidelines for child abusers.
Under Oregon law, the mandatory minimum for a person with no criminal record convicted of first-degree assault is 90 months prison — the exact sentence Abo received. Prosecutors have the option to file for an upward departure, which means they are asking for a judge to go beyond that.
In this case, that request was not made.
Now 5, Noah Robertson is out of a wheelchair and walking on his own. He still has a long road of recovery in front of him.
After Abo was sentenced, Brandy Robertson told KOIN 6 News, “Noah has to live with this for the rest of his life and Mike Abo should be behind bars for the rest of his life.”
Abo’s 7.5 year sentence is “a slap on the wrist,” she said. “It really is, but that’s what the state had and that’s what they could charge him with and that’s what he got.”
Calls into the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office have not been returned.Abo family statement
In an email statement received by KOIN 6 News on Feb. 7, 2015, the sisters of Michael Abo said:“On behalf of Michael Abo’s sisters / family , we wish to extend our deepest sympathies and prayers for the continued healing of victim. We will continue to pray for a full recovery so that the child may live a normal, happy life. “However, we are saddened to see that justice will not be served in this case. All of the focus is on the fact that Michael was an Ex Police officer and trying to harm the credibility of police officers which is wrong because he was a fine police officer and loved his job and there are a lot of fine police officers out there as well that are stereo typyed as such . “His standing as a police officer should not of been a part of this alleged crime . We want this to be made known that Michael was given a lie detector test, in which he passed, unfortunately it will not be admissible in court and unsure if the mother took one . Michael took the Guilty plea only because he would not of had a fair trial in the State of Oregon . “The public has a biased opinion and found him guilty without hearing all the facts. She is far from innocent and it is scary she is able to walk free from this crime. An innocent mother doesn’t exploit her child’s story as a way to create fraudulent fund raisers which was shut down by the Department of Justice because she does not even have custody of her children ! “There is so much more to this case that the public will never know about the mother . We appreciate all the non judgemental people that do not judge without knowing ALL the facts . “Justice has not been completely served here and wish for peace now to all .”