CAPE TEEN'S PARENTS CHARGED WITH ABUSE

JACKSON, Mo. -- A 15-year-old girl was beaten and forced to swallow chewing tobacco after her father accused her of stealing his marijuana, Cape Girardeau County investigators said.

The Cape Girardeau girl told a detective that while her father abused her, her mother watched and did not intervene, said Rhonda Westrich of the Cape Girar-deau County Sheriff's Department in a probable cause affidavit.

Douglas A. Aubuchon, 36, and Maria M. Harris, 33, were arrested Thursday and charged with felony crimes in connection with the incidents.

Aubuchon is charged with three counts of child abuse and one count of child endangerment. Harris is charged with two counts of child endangerment. Each charge of child abuse has a maximum punishment of seven years in prison. Child endangerment is punishable by up to five years.

Aubuchon's daughter told investigators on Feb. 7 that her father had abused her during the two previous days. She explained that her father became angry when he could not find his marijuana under the couch and accused her of taking it.

The girl said her father grabbed her by the throat, threw her against the wall and choked her until she was unconscious. After she regained consciousness, she said he pushed her into her bedroom and beat her with a doubled-up leather belt.

As further punishment, she said her father made her stay home from school the next day and clean their house. After he returned home from work, the girl said he made her put chewing tobacco in her mouth and swallow it as punishment for getting caught smoking at school.

The following day, before she left for school, the 15-year-old told investigators that her father hit her on the head with a clenched fist and told her not to "screw up" that day.

The girl alleged that her mother witnessed all the incidents.

Although Cape Girardeau County assistant prosecutor Lora Cooper would not say whether marijuana had been found at Aubuchon's residence, she said investigations were continuing.

Both Aubuchon and Harris are being held in the Cape Girardeau County Jail on $15,000 bonds.