- Video shows Catherine Harris, a mother who was recently arrested, accused of willful cruelty to a child. She is now speaking out against the allegations that have been spread through social media.
- Neighbors we spoke to said they were shocked by the allegations because they’d never seen Harris mistreat her children.
A mother in East Bakersfield who was arrested under suspicion of child abuse on Valentine’s Day is sharing her response to allegations that have been spreading through social media.
Catherine Harris, 44, told us that her home may not be perfect but it was far from a house of horrors as described on social media.
“I’m not losing my kids, my kids will be back and all this will be false,” she said.
Harris said when sheriff deputies arrived at her home on Valentine's Day it wasn’t the first time they’d been called there, but she still didn’t know who called them to the house.
“It’s wild accusations, and it’s going to be unfounded. I want the person who made these accusations, that’s who I want,” she said. “If this is true fact and that both times you came to my house on separate days that there’s kids tied up and now on the second time there’s a runaway with us. Show me who they are, show me where you seen some kids tied up at.”
Harris invited us to see the front room in her home where the children were allegedly tied to the walls. While Harris agreed that her home is in a poor state, her walls appeared clear.
Harris is facing one charge of felony willful cruelty to a child. However, she said six of her children removed from the home including her youngest with sickle cell.
“I had suspicions but nothing like this,” said a neighbor David Lane.
Lane said he’d see Harris’s children around the neighborhood and was concerned. He said he offered them toys as well as a dog kennel for Harris’s pet, and other assistance.
Harris said Lane had given her children toys and the kennel but that was the extent of their interactions.
Other neighbors we spoke to said they were shocked by the allegations because they’d never seen her mistreat her children.
“It’s sad that people will go to this length to say, I don’t even know who would say that,” Harris said.
Harris claims on Sunday, February 11, sheriff deputies arrived to her home on a similar call but no action was taken.
“Who would walk away from a home if the child is tied up?” she asked.
We’ve reached out to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office about the incident. While we’ve been unable to secure any reports or details, KCSO said that it’s an active investigation.
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