Fayetteville mother charged with abusing her children

Detectives said Tamika Marshya Sawyer, 32, of 4062 Dudley Road, choked her mentally handicapped daughter. She would punish the 12-year-old child by choking her until she became unconscious on several occasions, detectives said.

The attacks allegedly happened between Jan. 1, 2006, and May 12 of this year.

Sawyer is also accused of choking her 10-year-old son. Detectives said the child told them that she would choke him until his “voice turned low.”

Both children claim their mother threatened them by putting a shotgun in their faces and stated, “This is your last chance; be good.” She would also put chains on the refrigerator in the home to keep them from eating, detectives said.

The children also told detectives they would call family members to bring them food while Sawyer played video games and drank alcoholic beverages.

Sawyer is charged with four counts of assault on a child under 12, four counts of misdemeanor child abuse, two counts of assault by pointing a gun, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two counts of assault by strangulation and two counts of felony child abuse.

Sawyer was released from the Cumberland County Detention Center on bond Thursday.