The Milwaukee mother who claimed her stepfather threw her baby from a balcony has now been charged with child abuse herself, accused of whipping her younger brothers.
The 32-year-old man accused of throwing the baby, Jaimann L. Eiland, had the child abuse charges related to the incident dismissed on Aug. 26.
He was convicted of battery and disorderly conduct, misdemeanors, related to the March incident involving Shakira Walters, 25. The family members fought each other after an argument, before Walters told police that Eiland threw the baby off a second-story balcony. Walters’ 1-year-old daughter was believed to fall off the balcony at the home in the 4700 block of North 41st Street.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Hasle said at a hearing that Walters’ account fell apart after police interviewed witnesses and family members.
“Multiple other witnesses including her own family members present a contradiction to her account,” he said.
Eiland’s attorney, Jason Baltz, argued the accusations against him ruined his reputation and were not credible. Eiland spent 159 days in jail and was sentenced to time served and probation.
“Where does a 32-year-old man go to get his reputation back?” Baltz said. “The whole first page of Google for Mr. Eiland is about how he dropped or threw a baby off the balcony that simply did not happen.”
Baltz argued a better investigation and Eiland wouldn’t have been behind bars for nearly half the year.
“This case was problematic from the get-go,” he said. “Problems with the investigation with the relations between the investigator and the victim. I believe there was a family relation.”
Milwaukee police didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Aug. 28.
“From day one we knew my brother was innocent,” Eiland’s sister, Janessa Rivers, told Fox6.
“I feel like the system failed us because they put her right back into the home where the children were and they fear for their life,” Rivers added. “Even to this day they are traumatized.
“Justice to be served for my nephews, justice to be served for my brother, because they were all victimized by her malicious intent.”
Shakira Walters charged with child abuse a month after initial incident
Walters was charged in an unrelated incident, about a month after the fight with Eiland.
Walters told officers that she struck her younger brothers, ages 8 and 10, in April with a belt after one of them took an egg from the fridge and cracked it over his head, according to a criminal complaint. The boys told police they watched a YouTube video that said cracking an egg makes your hair grow longer.
The 10-year-old told police Walters struck him in the arms and his lower back. Officers found whip marks on the boy, the complaint said. The 8-year-old was also whipped but he told police that he didn’t understand why because he didn’t crack an egg. Officer found whip marks on the boy’s butt, the complaint said.
In her interview with police, Walters said, “when they get to talking crazy, … I had to whoop him because he took the eggs from the fridge and cracked the eggs on his head,” according to the complaint.
The complaint said Walters admitted, “I came in and whooped his butt. … I use the belt for them. It ain’t like I mean I picked up a broom stick or something.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Charges against Milwaukee man accused of throwing baby dismissed