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By DAWN SLADE - Mille Lacs County Times
Roland Leslie Hunt (left) and
Tiffany Rose Littlewolf (right)
Two young children were beaten and suffered burns, one of which suffered second and third degree burns on 40 percent of his one-year-old body. Two Wahkon residents are being charged.
A mother left her one-year-old and two-year-old in the care of friends - Roland Leslie Hunt, 35, and Tiffany Rose Littlewolf, 21, in October.
When she returned a few days later, on Oct. 9, she attempted to pickup her children, but was having difficulty getting them from Hunt and Littlewolf.
According to the criminal complaint, the mother had sent money to Hunt via a money gram so that they would have gas money to return her children to her. Police verified Hunt received a money gram from her.
She told police she was supposed to meet the couple at the Grand Casino on Oct. 9 to get her children, but she waited for an hour and they never showed.
She then drove around Onamia and found Hunt’s vehicle at Hill’s SuperValu. She made contact and persuaded him to give her a ride to Wahkon where her children were.
Hunt told the woman that the one child had a scratch on him but he said if she went to the police he would kill her.
When she got to Hunt’s apartment, Littlewolf began crying, but did not say anything.
The mother saw the injuries and immediately took her children to the hospital.
At the hospital, police saw the one-year-old had severe burns on his body. He was crying and in pain and was airlifted to the Hennepin County Medical Center.
He had second and third degree burns on 40 percent of his body.
His two-year-old sister remained at Mille Lacs Health System with first degree burns on her arms and legs, up to her waist area. She had visible marks on her face consistent with scratches and a bite mark on her upper shoulder.
After the mother took the children to the hospital, Hunt and Littlewolf left the area.
Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Investigator Brad Barnes contacted Littlewolf via telephone and attempted to set up various times to meet with her. She told the investigator that Hunt was with her, but would not tell Barnes where they were located.
On Oct. 13, Barnes met with Littlewolf at a residence in Beltrami County. She told the investigator she was giving the children a bath and she took her three children out of the tub to dry them off.
She said she left the one-year-old and two-year-old in the bathtub while she went upstairs. Littlewolf said the children must have turned on the hot water and burned themselves.
When she returned, the children were out of the tub.
Barnes told Littlewolf he wanted to speak with her children and when the arranged time arrived for her to bring them in, she canceled.
The next day a search warrant was executed at the Hunt/Littlewolf residence to document the water temperature in the bathtub.
On Oct. 15, Barnes and a social worker went to Beltrami County to get Littlewolf and Hunt’s three children.
During an interview with the social worker, the oldest child (a four-year-old) told authorities that her daddy had burned the one-year-old.
The child said her father held down the baby’s head under water and that the baby was “flopping around.”
On Oct. 19, Littlewolf was scheduled to meet with Barnes again following a court appearance regarding a child in need of protection and services hearing. She never showed up for the meeting.
During another search warrant of the apartment the next day, authorities determined the injuries sustained by the one-year-old was not consistent with the water immersion evidence sheet from the first experiment.
Statements from various people included one witness who said Hunt told him the one-year-old had fallen out of the bathtub.
In addition, Barnes attempted to meet with Hunt on several occasions, but he never appeared.
Hunt is now in custody.
According to Dr. Thompson of the Hennepin County Medical Center, the one-year-old had marks around his neck, consistent with strangulation. He had petechial lesions on the back and the side of his neck, and he had bruising around both ears.
The burns were consistent with water immersion.
The doctor called the maltreatment of the child “significant.”
On Nov. 19, Littlewolf provided a taped statement admitting that she lied and she wanted to tell the truth about what happened.
She told him she lied because she was terrified of Hunt.
Hunt allegedly came up with the story she was to tell police.
She said that on the Oct. 9, Hunt was getting ready to leave with someone but she wanted him to stay and help with the children. He showered and then grabbed the two victims, went into the bathroom and closed the door.
Littlewolf said she could hear the water running and then heard the baby scream.
Littlewolf said she was scared and didn’t want to look into it. Instead she remained in the kitchen with her children and cried.
Afterword, the two-year-old kept saying, “water” and the one-year-old’s legs “looked really bad” and he was not acting like himself.
Littlewolf said she didn’t get help because Hunt told her not to say anything and she was afraid of what he would do to her.
She admitted that both she and Hunt were avoiding law enforcement.
She said Hunt and his family repeatedly told her not to “roll over” on him and threatened to beat her if she did.
Hunt has been charged with first degree assault - bodily harm and faces up to 20 years in prison.
He has also been charged with two counts of third degree assault, and two counts of endangerment of a child.
Littlewolf has been charged with aiding an offender to avoid arrest and aiding an offender, obstructing an investigation/prosecution.
She faces up to three years in prison.
Littlewolf was released on her own recognizance Nov. 24. Hunt is still in custody. Unconditional bail has been set at $500,000 and conditional bail is $250,000. The Mille Lacs County Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
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