Police allege Lebanon couple abused 3- month-old babyl

A Lebanon couple was arrested last night after police alleged they abused a 3-month-old baby girl so badly that the child suffered numerous broken bones.

Few details on the case were available before press time. The arrests come after an "extensive investigation" of the couple – 21-year-old Christopher Tyler Dies and 19-year-old Candice Denise Dies – by officers of the Wilson County Sheriff's Department and the Lebanon Police.

Sealed grand jury indictments were issued for the pair this week on charges of aggravated child neglect and aggravated failure to protect a minor after both agencies presented the results of investigation, officials from the Sheriff's department said.

Sgt. Corey Buhler and Deputy Steve Gatlin of the Wilson County Sheriff's Department made the arrests yesterday afternoon after staking out the couple for much of the day. Sheriff Terry Ashe praised the Lebanon police for their role in what he called a successful joint operation.

"They did a good job," Ashe said. "I am thankful that were able to apprehend these suspects, and we are looking forward to letting the justice system work."

Holding the pair in the county's crowded jail could pose some problems, Ashe said. With so little space available, the sheriff said it will be difficult to separate what he called the high-risk suspects from the rest of the population.

Ashe said he was confident that his department could "make the suspects welfare and safety a priority," but he added that the problems of overcrowding that plague the county jail make the job more difficult.
More details on the case will be published in tomorrow's issue of The Lebanon Democrat.