A Utah couple has been charged with attempted murder after the brutal beating of a 3-year-old girl, allegedly triggered by frustrations over potty training. According to prosecutors, the child’s mother and her boyfriend allowed the abuse to escalate to the point that she was found unresponsive and barely clinging to life.
Tyrel Scott Belone, 28, and Amber Lee Leary, 29, are facing charges of attempted aggravated murder, aggravated child abuse, and child torture, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced. The young victim, referred to in court documents as C.W., remained in critical condition as of Tuesday, placed in a medically induced coma.
On June 28, around 7:15 a.m., Sandy Police officers responded to a home where they found Leary outside. She led them to the garage and then into the basement, where they discovered her daughter lying on her back. Though unresponsive, officers detected a faint breath and pulse.
Court documents described the child’s body as discolored, with numerous bruises — including several under her eyes — and a greenish-blue hue across her skin, suggesting she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. She was immediately airlifted to a hospital.
The Alleged Motive: Potty Training Regression
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During police interviews, Belone admitted he had become frustrated in recent weeks because the child had regressed in her potty training — often defecating in corners and acting aggressively. On June 28, just before Leary left for work at 5:30 a.m., Belone claimed he picked the child up and threw her onto a mattress. She bounced and struck her head on the wall.
According to the complaint, Belone described the act by saying she “skimmed the bed like a rock skipping over water” before hitting the wall with the right side of her head and face.
Belone admitted to striking the child several times in recent days. He reportedly punched her with a closed fist in the cheekbone and temple, claiming it was in retaliation for her scratching his nose. He also admitted to backhanding her and punching her buttocks during other outbursts. Leary, he said, knew about the physical abuse but never intervened.
Detectives noted that Belone even told them he had “knocked her a couple times” with a closed fist and said the child cried when he hit her in the face.
Leary claimed she left for work after being told by Belone, “We need to fix this.” Shortly after, he called her back, saying only, “You need to come. I think C.W. needs to go to the hospital.” When she returned home, Leary found her daughter unresponsive and described her as “dead with a heartbeat.”
Belone’s mother, Ginger, a nurse practitioner, became involved via FaceTime. When she saw the child’s condition, she insisted they take her to the hospital, warning, “If you don’t take her, you will both go to jail.” Belone allegedly tried to stop Leary from calling 911, but she eventually did — texting Ginger their address.
Texts Reveal Deadly Intent
Investigators uncovered disturbing text messages from Belone to Leary in the days leading up to the assault:
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“I am going to murder her,” he allegedly wrote on June 22.
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“I’m going to crack her skull.”
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“I’m finished with her, we can’t have a life together with her being like this.”
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“She is acting completely feral and I’m going to break her nose.”
On one occasion, when Leary returned home, C.W.’s eyes were bruised and swollen shut.
Doctors Warn of Ongoing Risk
A pediatrician who evaluated the girl stated she “is at high risk of further injury or death if returned to the hands of the caregiver who inflicted these injuries. C.W.’s current status is guarded.”
While Belone is accused of committing the physical abuse, Leary faces charges for allowing it to happen. According to her arrest warrant, she repeatedly failed to protect her daughter, didn’t seek medical attention, and avoided law enforcement — even as the child’s injuries worsened visibly.
Authorities now say both adults made conscious choices that ultimately left the little girl clinging to life.