Photo: Penny Sue Tucker, Carl Luebken and Crystal Allen.
Three people have been charged for paddling an Izard County woman, including her sister who demanded her sister be released from the hospital because they needed her money. Thirty-five-year-old Carl Luebken, 34-year-old Crystal Allen and the women’s sister, 61-year-old Penny Sue Tucker, are facing two felonies each in connection with the abuse.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the Izard County Sheriff’s Office, they were first notified of the abuse by the Mountain Home Police Department after they were contacted by officials from Baxter Regional Medical Center. When the victim was being admitted for another condition, hospital personnel witnessed bruising on the the victim’s buttock.
Investigators from Izard County went to the victim’s house in Pineville to interview the three suspects. During individual interviews with the trio, Luebken said it is Tucker and Allen who do the paddling while Allen said it’s Luebken and Tucker. Tucker admitted she does paddle her sister, and occasionally “pops her in the mouth,” and the discipline occurs about twice per week. Luebken and Tucker said they also put the woman in “time out”.
The day after the interviews, law enforcement received medical records for the victim. Several nurses notes stated the victim was afraid to return home due to the abuse she endures from the three suspects. It was also noted the victim receives government monetary assistance but is unaware how the money is spent in the household.
An investigator meet with a hospital official who said she had received a phone call from Tucker demanding her sister be released from the hospital because she needed her sister’s money for household bills.
The victim has since been moved to an assisted living facility in Greenwood and the power of attorney Tucker says she has for her sister has been revoked.
Luebken, Allen and Tucker are each charged with two counts of abuse of an endangered or impaired person. Bond for each is $15,000.
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