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Richards' hearing postponed
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A preliminary hearing and a probation revocation hearing Monday for a mother accused of child abuse were postponed.

Tina Richards, 19, of Guyton, remains in jail on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, cruelty to a child in the first degree and cruelty to a child in the second degree for the incident. A new hearing date has not been set.

The baby, 10-month-old Aiden Waller, is reported to be improving at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, where he was taken by LifeStar helicopter.

The baby’s father, Phillip Wesley Waller, 20, was arrested one week after the incident.

He is being charged with cruelty in the first degree and cruelty in the second degree. He also is charged with obstruction and making false statements.

The baby’s parents have been bound over to Effingham County Superior Court.

Richards was given five years probation as a first offender for an incident in July involving her infant son. She was indicted by an Effingham grand jury for one count of cruelty to children and one count of battery. Richards pled guilty to both counts.

She was given five years of probation for the first count, having caused bruises to her baby’s arms, face and body.

She was given 12 months of probation, to be served concurrently, for the second charge, which stemmed from Richards grabbing her son by the arms and throwing him in the crib.

Following the incident last month, sheriff’s investigators obtained a search warrant after the infant was flown to Memorial and found yarn and thread sewn in an apparent attempt to restrain the child’s feet. They also discovered a onesy sewn into the crib sheet. Duct tape, which may have been placed over the baby’s mouth, also was found.