Gainesville woman arrested for child abuse after allegedly abusing children and threatening to slit their throats if the police came

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jessica Deana Greene, 40, was arrested yesterday after allegedly abusing two children who lived in her home and threatening to slit their throats if the police showed up.

On August 14, a Gainesville Police Department Officer went to the children’s home for a well-being check after the older child emailed a former teacher to say that Greene had hit his younger sister. The email also said Greene had told the children that “the day the police knock on the door is the day she slits our throats.”

The officer reported that when he arrived at the residence, Greene became “extremely agitated” and would not let him see or speak to the children. After some negotiation, she let the older child speak to the officer through the door, but she would not let the officer see the child or enter the house.

On August 15, officers checked on the children again but learned that both were absent from school, which alarmed them because the email said Greene had threatened to slit their throats if police came to the house.

Officers went to the residence, where Greene reportedly would not let them see the children at first, but officers were eventually able to speak to the children away from Greene, and both children reportedly said Greene had hit and choked them.

A medical examination reportedly found injuries on both children that were consistent with the incidents reported in their interviews with the Child Protection Team.

Greene has been charged with two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm. She has no local adult criminal history. Judge Julie Johnson ordered her held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold her without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.