‘Sadistic mother bought dress and made young boy wear it to school as punishment’
Police officer Destini Woodruff is accused of inflicting a horrific catalog of abuse on her son and stepson
A sadistic mother bought a dress just to embarrass a young boy in her care by making him wear it to school, police say. Police officer Destini Woodruff, 26, reportedly admitted to the twisted punishment after she was arrested for battering her own son and her cop husband’s stepson.
Woodruff, from Las Vegas, was arrested earlier this month after a May 9 incident where she is said to have grown frustrated that her open-handed slaps ‘weren’t causing her own son enough pain.’ So she drafted in spouse John Wesley Woodruff – who he called ‘Big Johnny’ to beat her son harder, it is alleged.
‘Big Johnny’ is said to have grabbed a belt and battered his stepson so hard the boy still had bruises several days later. He is then accused of lifting the boy by the neck and raising him into the air, causing the child – who was aged under 10 – to soil his underwear.
The Woodruffs – who each had a son and daughter from previous relationships – are also said to have abused John’s biological son, who was non-verbal. Both of the suspected child abusers work for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. It is unclear whether the boy made to wear the dress was Destini Woodruff’s biological son or stepson.
The Las Vegas Sun reported that on one occasion, that boy tried to snuggle up to his father in bed, only to be spanked as punishment.
After her arrest, Destini Woodruff is said to have claimed that she had beaten the boy to punish him for bullying his younger sister, who is aged two or three.
She reportedly canceled the boy’s weekly visit to his biological dad, and texted her ex to say their son couldn’t ‘get it through his head that he cannot lie and bully anyone ever and then just go to your house and get away with it.’
The dad eventually saw his son four days later, and called police as soon as he spotted the bruises. Tests and examinations performed on the boy by hospital staff lined up with his account of the abuse
The Woodruffs have both been charged with crimes including child abuse, with police warning that, had the child been left unchecked, the escalating violence could have killed him.
They have been freed on bail ahead of their next court appearance.