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CNN Sunday Morning

Toogood Faces Arraignment Monday Morning

Aired September 22, 2002 - 10:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An Indiana mother is facing a court appearance tomorrow morning. She is out on bail, asking authorities not to leave her child in foster care. Madelyne Gorman Toogood turned herself in to face charges she beat her child in a department store parking lot. CNN's Gary Tuchman has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As she walked out of the St. Joseph County jail after paying the $5,000 bond, Madelyne Toogood was angry, scared and silent. It was our first look at this woman since the world was introduced to her via a horrifying videotape. Toogood was the woman who repeatedly beat her 4-year-old daughter, Martha, after a trip to a department store in Mishawaka, Indiana. On Saturday night, five hours after she surrendered, she was still angry and scared, but no longer silent.

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, ACCUSED OF BEATING CHILD: I'm not a monster. I have three other -- I have three children, and nothing's ever happened, ever before, to any of my children.

TUCHMAN: But for now little Martha will not be permitted to stay with her mother. Indiana's Department of Child Protection Services has received permission from a court to have the child stay temporarily with another family. Her two other children will remain with her husband.

TOOGOOD: I didn't want to her to go home with strangers. She's scared enough.

TUCHMAN: But the state felt it was necessary, considering the circumstances. Little Martha was brought to the hospital for an examination. So far her condition looks good.

CHRIS TOTH, PROSECUTOR: Martha appears to be a sweet little girl. There were no visible signs of any injuries. She was brought into the police station. Obviously, she is a 4-year-old girl. She's going to be a little concerned about everything going on around her. She seems to be happy. We gave her a Happy Meal and she seemed to be enjoying that.

TUCHMAN: When the mother surrendered earlier in the day, she was whisked into a police station garage in a van with her attorney. In another van, her husband and daughter Martha. One hour of interrogation followed, and then her processing and felony battery charges. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you angry about, though, that day? What were you ...

TOOGOOD: I was upset, nothing in particular. It was my mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe it would help -- maybe it would help if you described it because it was -- it looked like you were more than upset.

TOOGOOD: I don't want to describe it. It was just -- it -- my lawyer advised me not to go into all of that right now.

TUCHMAN: But we later asked her lawyer.

STEVE ROSEN, GORMAN TOOGOOD'S ATTORNEY: I think she was angered by the daughter and the way she was behaving in the clothes department store, ripping up the toys, playing with the toys, hiding, being found, hiding, being found. And the mother got fed up, and she acted -- she acted and it was a poor, poor choice of discipline.

TUCHMAN: Martha was punched, slapped and had her hair pulled, and the attorney says he won't consult a judge or jury by trying to deny that.

TOOGOOD: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it, and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now, holding onto my husband's hat because my husband had to leave it because he wouldn't let her leave the room. She wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come back for it. She thinks right now he's on his way back to get that baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying -- it's my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: The surrender process began in the most unorthodox fashion. Her attorney called CNN on Friday, saying they were ready to turn her in. However, they weren't able to get in touch with the prosecutor, because he wasn't at his desk and did we have the prosecutor's cell phone number. Well, we did have the cell phone number. We gave it over. That helped facilitate the phone call that led to the surrender yesterday.

The arraignment for this woman will be held on Monday. She faces the possibility of up to three years in prison on a felony battery charge. Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: Gary, give us some insights into the process as it relates to the child and foster care and hearings and decisions in that regard? What's next for the child?

TUCHMAN: Well, little Martha right now is living with the family here in St. Joseph County. We are not being told where she is or who the family is, just that the family is known to be a very good care giving family. We have been told by people here that the family who has just lost the child has been assured that this family will take good care of little Martha. However, we don't know how long it will be. A lot will depend on the court action this Monday at the arraignment. But at this point, you can tell they are not too happy that the child has been handed over.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Gary Tuchman, we appreciate it. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 22, 2002 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: An Indiana mother is facing a court appearance tomorrow morning. She is out on bail, asking authorities not to leave her child in foster care. Madelyne Gorman Toogood turned herself in to face charges she beat her child in a department store parking lot. CNN's Gary Tuchman has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As she walked out of the St. Joseph County jail after paying the $5,000 bond, Madelyne Toogood was angry, scared and silent. It was our first look at this woman since the world was introduced to her via a horrifying videotape. Toogood was the woman who repeatedly beat her 4-year-old daughter, Martha, after a trip to a department store in Mishawaka, Indiana. On Saturday night, five hours after she surrendered, she was still angry and scared, but no longer silent.

MADELYNE GORMAN TOOGOOD, ACCUSED OF BEATING CHILD: I'm not a monster. I have three other -- I have three children, and nothing's ever happened, ever before, to any of my children.

TUCHMAN: But for now little Martha will not be permitted to stay with her mother. Indiana's Department of Child Protection Services has received permission from a court to have the child stay temporarily with another family. Her two other children will remain with her husband.

TOOGOOD: I didn't want to her to go home with strangers. She's scared enough.

TUCHMAN: But the state felt it was necessary, considering the circumstances. Little Martha was brought to the hospital for an examination. So far her condition looks good.

CHRIS TOTH, PROSECUTOR: Martha appears to be a sweet little girl. There were no visible signs of any injuries. She was brought into the police station. Obviously, she is a 4-year-old girl. She's going to be a little concerned about everything going on around her. She seems to be happy. We gave her a Happy Meal and she seemed to be enjoying that.

TUCHMAN: When the mother surrendered earlier in the day, she was whisked into a police station garage in a van with her attorney. In another van, her husband and daughter Martha. One hour of interrogation followed, and then her processing and felony battery charges. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you angry about, though, that day? What were you ...

TOOGOOD: I was upset, nothing in particular. It was my mistake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, maybe it would help -- maybe it would help if you described it because it was -- it looked like you were more than upset.

TOOGOOD: I don't want to describe it. It was just -- it -- my lawyer advised me not to go into all of that right now.

TUCHMAN: But we later asked her lawyer.

STEVE ROSEN, GORMAN TOOGOOD'S ATTORNEY: I think she was angered by the daughter and the way she was behaving in the clothes department store, ripping up the toys, playing with the toys, hiding, being found, hiding, being found. And the mother got fed up, and she acted -- she acted and it was a poor, poor choice of discipline.

TUCHMAN: Martha was punched, slapped and had her hair pulled, and the attorney says he won't consult a judge or jury by trying to deny that.

TOOGOOD: Nobody has a right to strike their child. I shouldn't have did it. I'm paying for it, and my entire family is paying for it over my mistake. Everybody is paying for it, and my baby is somewhere with people she don't know, thinking right now, holding onto my husband's hat because my husband had to leave it because he wouldn't let her leave the room. She wouldn't let him leave the room unless he left his baseball hat (UNINTELLIGIBLE) come back for it. She thinks right now he's on his way back to get that baseball hat and her. I -- nobody -- why is my child paying -- it's my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it. It was my mistake. She shouldn't pay for it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCHMAN: The surrender process began in the most unorthodox fashion. Her attorney called CNN on Friday, saying they were ready to turn her in. However, they weren't able to get in touch with the prosecutor, because he wasn't at his desk and did we have the prosecutor's cell phone number. Well, we did have the cell phone number. We gave it over. That helped facilitate the phone call that led to the surrender yesterday.

The arraignment for this woman will be held on Monday. She faces the possibility of up to three years in prison on a felony battery charge. Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: Gary, give us some insights into the process as it relates to the child and foster care and hearings and decisions in that regard? What's next for the child?

TUCHMAN: Well, little Martha right now is living with the family here in St. Joseph County. We are not being told where she is or who the family is, just that the family is known to be a very good care giving family. We have been told by people here that the family who has just lost the child has been assured that this family will take good care of little Martha. However, we don't know how long it will be. A lot will depend on the court action this Monday at the arraignment. But at this point, you can tell they are not too happy that the child has been handed over.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Gary Tuchman, we appreciate it. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com