JEFFERSON COUNTY — One day of the bench trial of a Mt. Vernon man and a Mt. Vernon woman for child battery was held Monday before the pair decided to sever the case and proceed with separate bench trials next month.

The bench trial against 21-year-old Abagail Adkins will continue on October 15 and the bench trial against 20-year-old Tyrone “EJ” Steele will continue on October 11.

The two are each charged with Class X felony aggravated battery of a child under the age of 13 causing great bodily harm.

The charges stem from a report received by MVPD back on April 20, 2017, from Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

A nurse at the hospital reported an allegation of abuse and detectives from the Mt. Vernon Police Department and Department of Children and Family Services Investigators continued the investigation.