Jennifer Lynn Vargas (Grand Traverse County Jail)
A 42-year-old mother in Michigan has been arrested for allegedly biting her own daughter on the neck and strangling the child before throwing her headfirst down a flight of stairs.
Jennifer Lynn Vargas was taken into custody earlier this month and charged with one count of assault with intent to murder and one count of first-degree child abuse, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. Both charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The incident took place just a few minutes before midnight on Nov. 8, 2024, inside Vargas’ home in Blair Township, according to a report from MLive. Blair Township is about 160 miles northwest of Lansing.
Per the report, troopers with the Michigan State Police responded to the home where they made contact with Vargas and the victim, who were outside in the driveway. Investigators then interviewed the two individuals separately.
The victim’s name and age have not been released, but police did clarify that she is Vargas’ daughter.
The victim reportedly told authorities that Vargas attacked her, hitting her several times, strangling her, and then throwing her down a flight of stairs.
Authorities reportedly noted that the victim had at least one visible bite mark as well as a cut on her hand which she claimed was the result of her and Vargas struggling over a knife.
In addition to her visible injuries, the victim also reportedly said that she lost consciousness multiple times due to being strangled by Vargas.
Emergency medical personnel transported the victim to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for treatment while Vargas was taken into custody.
Court documents obtained by Traverse City NBC affiliate WPBN provided additional details about the alleged attack.
The victim reportedly told authorities that Vargas physically assaulted her for over an hour. During the attack, the victim said Vargas strangled her and slammed her head into the floor before finally tossing her down the stairs headfirst, court documents reportedly said.
After being thrown down the stairs, the victim reportedly said that she pretended to be unconscious. When Vargas turned away, the victim reportedly said she ran to a nearby bedroom and locked the door.
As the victim attempted to escape the home through a window, Vargas allegedly broke through the locked door, held her down on the bed, and strangled her again. While strangling the victim, Vargas allegedly told the victim “she was going to be sacrificed.”
Vargas is currently being held in the Grand Traverse County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond. A judge ordered her to have no contact with the victim and to stay at least 500 yards away from her.
Vargas is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at 11 a.m. on Dec. 2.
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