A Galloway Township woman is accused of starving and beating a 9-year-old girl in her care.
Stephanie Gregory, 56, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child, all second-degree charges, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said Thursday.
Gregory was the legal guardian of the girl along with her two siblings, Tyner said.
She is also charged with possession of heroin.
Gregory failed to properly feed the girl, and repeatedly beat her with a metal spatula, leaving open wounds and welts on the child's body, Tyner said.
The girl was so emaciated when she was removed from the home, that she could barely walk and was hospitalized for a week, according to the report.
It was not clear what happened to the other two children. Their ages and genders were not released.
The investigation was a collaborative effort by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Atlantic County SWAT Team, Tyner said.
Gregory is in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending a detention hearing.
