VERNAL, Utah, Sept. 8, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Two employees of North Eastern Services, a care center for patients with mental health disabilities, were arrested this weekend after they allegedly assaulted a non-verbal patient at the company’s Vernal location.
Deputies for the Uintah County Sheriff‘s Office responded to the facility, “and noticed a young male running back towards the residence. That young man was later identified as the victim and his initials are AE.”
Deputies talked to the complainant, who said she was riding a horse in the area when she saw the young man in the facility’s driveway.
“AE appeared to have been sobbing and his face was covered in blood,” the deputy’s report says. “She ran over to him asking him if he was alright. She also asked AE who had hit him. AE is nonverbal, but can still communicate either using sign language or pointing…”
“When (the woman) asked AE who hit him, AE pointed at a female who was in a sling and had run across the street yelling at (the complainant) to get away from him due to AE throwing a temper tantrum. Again, (the complainant) asked who hit AE and he pointed at the woman who was in the sling. She was later identified as Kayla Evans,” a care center employee.
Officers interviewed other employees of the facility, and one told him that “earlier, two managers were at the residence and had assault AE with a wooden dowel that is used to keep the back door shut.”
Employees said that AE had been kicking his door, and the two managers, Evans and Ashia Wyasket, had taken turns hitting AE.
AE was taken to a nearby medical center to have his injuries assessed, the statement says.
Another facility employee informed deputies of an audio recording of the assault, say affidavits filed in the arrest of Evans and Wyasket.
“Kayla and Ashia were in the process of locking him inside his room,” the women’s affidavits say. “I continued listening and it can be heard Ashia yelling, ‘knock it the f… off,’ followed by a noise similar to a wooden knock. The wooden knocked sounded as if it made contact with AE’s head.”
The employee confirmed the knocking sound AE being struck in the head with the dowel, the affidavits say.
“The noise of the wood knock could be heard multiple times, before you hear both Kayla and Ashia laughing….
“Three employees stated that Kayla and Ashia had collaborated on the story that AE had thrown a temper tantrum and was hitting his head on the wall. During this time, it was also discovered that Kayla had (previously) broken her hand from hitting AE on the back of the head.”
When Evans, 33, and Wyasket, 23, were interviewed separately, each said AE hurt himself. After being informed that an audio recording existed, Evans admitted to hitting AE a few times because she was “tired of being attacked,” Wyasket said Evans instigated the assault, the affidavits said.
Court documents say a third employee was reportedly charged with criminal negligence for allegedly witnessing the assault without reporting it or attempting to stop it, the affidavits say. Online court records do not show that charges have been filed yet against the third woman.
Both Evans and Wyasket were released from jail on conditions including they return for court dates and avoid contact with the alleged victim.
