Background: The Allen County Jail in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Anthony Rybolt and LaTasha Money (Allen County Sheriff”s Office).
An Indiana minor claimed that his stepbrother held a gun to him and he told police that his father and stepmother allegedly did nothing to stop the assault.
Anthony Rybolt and LaTasha Money were both charged with child neglect resulting in bodily injury after Rybolt’s son told police about an assault at the hands of his stepbrother, Money’s son. According to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, the minor, whose age was not specified in the affidavit, and his mother contacted police in late April after he said that his stepbrother strangled him before “point[ing] a black 9 mm handgun at his stomach.”
When the boy told Rybolt and Money about the incident, they allegedly told the stepbrother, “Just don’t kill him.”
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
According to the affidavit, the minor told police that a week before the altercation, Rybolt and Money forced him to use his car to drive another child to St. Augustine, Florida, so that the child could hide in an unnamed person’s home. The objective, police said, was to “evade an active [Child In Need of Services] warrant.”
When the minor returned from making the trip, Rybolt and Money “demanded” that he give back his car keys so they could use it to continue evading law enforcement. When the victim refused, the stepbrother allegedly attacked him by “jump[ing] on top of him while he was lying on a bed and strangled him with both hands.”
The boy was left with “visible red bruising on his neck.” The strangulation reportedly occurred before the stepbrother pointed the loaded gun at him and told him, “I don’t need you anymore.” The minor told police that his father and stepmother were “promoting and inducing” the stepbrother’s behavior by “not stopping” him.
After the altercation, the boy made contact with his aunt to tell her what happened. Witnesses told police that the victim was “upset and afraid” when they spoke with him, and that they saw the bruising on his neck.
On April 28, the minor and his mother reported the alleged incident to police, who arrested Rybolt and Money on Thursday. Both were charged with neglect of a child causing bodily harm. After being booked into the Allen County Jail, both posted $10,000 bond and were released. Rybolt and Money are scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 27.
