Woman, 28, is accused of holding her five-year-old stepson under water until he passed out and strangling him up to 70 times 'because she hated him'

An Idaho woman has been arrested on charges of aggravated battery and injury to a child after she allegedly admitted to repeatedly using water torture on her five-year-old stepson and strangling him as many as 70 times. 

LaShauna Eskeets, 28, from Idaho Falls, was arrested in late May, three days after her stepson was admitted to Idaho Falls Community Hospital suffering from serious injuries. 

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Idaho Falls Post Register, the woman initially claimed the child had fallen off a baby gate and hurt himself, but doctors determined that his many injuries, some recent and others in various stages of healing, were consistent with abuse. 

LaShauna Eskeets, 28, from Idaho, has been charged with injury to a child and aggravated battery. She is accused of abusing her toddler stepson for more than a year and a half

The young boy weighed just 35lbs and was labeled malnourished in the police report. 

He had swelling around his head and eyes, fractured ribs on both sides of his body, a broken bone in his right arm that had not set properly, as well as bruises and abrasions around his neck and both ankles. 

During a forensic interview with an investigator from Idaho Child Protective Services, the young boy initially said that his stepmother had spanked him for eating cake, and that he had taken a fall. 

When the boy's father, who was often away on business for weeks at a time, reassured the five-year-old that Eskeets would not be able to punish him for speaking candidly to the investigator, the child allegedly said his stepmother would hit him on the head, and would restrain him and hold him underwater in the sink.

According to the affidavit, the boy's father broke down in tears and told investigators he knew nothing of the alleged abuse.  

The five-year-old told the authorities that Eskeets would tie up his hands and ankles to stop him from fighting back, and that she would hold him underwater until he passed out.

Eskeets, pictured above with her partner and two children, is suspected of strangling her five-year-old stepson 50-70 times, and holding him underwater 30 times 

When questioned by police, the 28-year-old woman reportedly admitted to abusing her stepson for more than a year and a half out of frustration, saying that she had trouble raising him because he stole things and acted out.

While the family lived in Arizona prior to January 2019, Eskeets said she kept her stepson locked in his room.

The affidavit states that Eskeets told police she struggled to love the boy and was annoyed by him.

Eskeets allegedly told police that before discovering the water torture method, she would often strangle the boy until his body went limp.

She also described kicking and hitting the child in the head, and then searching online for ways to conceal the bruises.

In one instance, she allegedly gave the five-year-old a bloody nose because he had trouble learning numbers and shapes.

The boy's father made her apologize before allowing her to be alone with his son again, according to the documents.

But the woman said she soon resumed hitting her stepson as punishment for misbehavior.

After the family moved to Idaho Falls, away from other family members who could have intervened on the child's behalf, Eskeets allegedly said she stepped up the abuse.

Eskeets allegedly told police she was frustrated with the boy and hated him

'I asked what she was thinking during these incidents of abuse and Lashauna was thinking how much she hated him,' a detective wrote in his report, as quoted by East Idaho News. 

It has been estimated that Eskeets strangled her stepson between 50-70 times, and held him underwater about 30 times between January 2019-May 2020.

Eskeets told police her stepson would try to avoid being dunked in the sink by telling her he loved her and begging her not to do it to him

'(The victim) would try turning off the water or kicking her away or pushing her away and that was when she started tying (the victim's) hands and legs,' the affidavit read. 

The most recent attack took place on May 17, the boy's birthday. Eskeets allegedly tried to cover up the victim's injuries, but his father noticed the swelling on his neck and took him to the hospital.

Following Eskeets' arrest on May 29, the five-year-old and his younger sibling were placed in foster care.

Eskeets is being held in the county jail on $500,000 bail. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 12.

If convicted of the six counts of injury to a child and one count of aggravated battery, she could be sentenced to up to 75 years in prison.