Police: Pleasant Grove woman booked after choking autistic son, telling him to die

Gidget Charmaine Quilter. Photo: Utah County

PLEASANT VIEW, Utah, March 27, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Pleasant Grove woman has been booked into the Utah County jail after police say she choked her autistic 21-year-old son as her younger children looked on.

Gidget Charmaine Quilter, 42, was booked Tuesday on suspicion of:

  • Aggravated assault act committed with force/violence to injure, a third-degree felony
  • Tampering with a witness, a third-degree felony
  • Seven counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a class B misdemeanor

A probable cause statement filed in the case says that on Saturday, Pleasant Grove police responded to a domestic dispute during which Quilter allegedly threw scissors at her 13-year-old son.

Police were subsequently informed that Quilter was observed choking her mentally handicapped 21-year-old son in the presence of six children: girls age 2, 7 and 17, and boys age 7, 13 and 14.

“It was also reported that the 17-year-old female (a daughter) and the 13-year-old male intervened in this incident to stop their mother from choking her handicapped brother,” the statement says.

“There was an audio recording of the incident that was given to officers from when the handicapped male was choked this date. In the audio recording, the mother was clearly recorded making the statement, ‘Die you — die you little f****** ….'”

The responding officer checked the 21-year-old male, and found him to have several red marks on his body, one of which was bleeding. The 21 year old was unable to talk, the statement says.

“I interviewed Gidget Quilter at the PGPD regarding this incident. Ms. Quilter was advised of her Miranda Right to have an attorney present during questioning. She acknowledged understanding and did not request to have an attorney present.

“Ms. Quilter described an incident this date where she had to restrain her 21-year-old handicapped son. She described her handicapped son to have Langer Giedion Syndrome secondary to severe autism. She confirmed he is not able to communicate verbally.”

Quilter told the officer her son had defecated and thrown feces all over his room, and she had restrained him using what she called a “basket hold,” which involved wrapping her arms around him from behind, pulling him to the floor, and wrapping her legs around him.

Quilter held her son in that position until her daughter intervened, she told the officer.

“Ms. Quilter said that when she did so, she patted her son’s mouth with her right-open palm to get him to stop screaming; this was consistent with the red marks and scratches to the left side of the handicapped male’s neck.

“The recording which recorded her making the statement ‘Die you — die you little f***** …’ was played for her,” and Quilter said the incident occurred while she had her oldest son in a basket hold.

Other voices audible on the recording were heard saying “Stop — Mom stop.” Quilter said those voices belonged to her 13-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter, the statement says.

On March 26, the officer interviewed the 17-year-old daughter about the incident, and she reported that Quilter had grabbed the 21-year-old by his throat and applied so much pressure the victim stopped screaming because his air was cut off. She also said she and her 13-year-old brother had pulled their mother off the victim to save him. He then resumed screaming.

“This information directly coincides with the audio recording IĀ overheard when I initially investigated this case.”

The teenage girl also told police that her mother called her later, and “pointedly asked her if it was she who had given the recording to the police, and she became emotionally upset.

“The 17-year-old girl then told her that if she told the police that her statement and the recording were explained to say that it was a ‘misperception’ that it would help her –that she needed a doctor-not the police or jail.”

That resulted in the witness-tampering charge.

Quilter, who is considered a flight risk, had her bail set at $25,000 payable by cash only.

1 COMMENT

  1. This poor mother… I am sure 90% of us would have cracked well before now. I can’t imagine the stress this poor woman has gone through. Committing 24/7 to take care of this special needs boy and she snapped. I wasn’t there and neither were any of you people that might be judging her based on what you read here. I know there are plenty of people after reading about this that think they would have never done such a thing. We are not all perfect.. I am sure this woman wouldn’t have killed the boy but now she will be ruined because her lowest moment was “caught on tape”. My thoughts are with her at this time and hope she gets the help and strength she needs.

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