Formal charges of child abuse were heard Thursday by a Vicksburg woman accused of causing a skull fracture and broken bones to her 3-week-old daughter.

Kristen Elizabeth Walter, 24, 7094 Oak Ridge Road, was arraigned in Circuit Court after being indicted this week by the Warren County Grand Jury. Walter has been in the Warren County Jail without bond since her July 7 arrest.

At her arraignment, a bond hearing was set for Aug. 21 and a trial for March 8.

Walter was one of 18 defendants arraigned Thursday by Judge Isadore Patrick in the first round of indictments handed down by the grand jury. About 100 more will be arraigned today and possibly Monday.

Names of those indicted are not released until they are arraigned, the court action in which they are informed of the formal charges against them and have a trial date set.

Walter was arrested by sheriff’s deputies after her then-3-week-old baby was treated at River Region Medical Center for a fractured skull, a broken arm and a broken leg, injuries that appeared to have occurred the night before. The baby was transferred to University Medical Center and has since been released, said Brenda Theriot, victim assistance coordinator in the DA’s office.

Investigators said Walter told them she was holding the baby when she tripped over a thresh hold in the home and fell, landing on the infant. Physicians, however, stated the injuries appeared to have resulted from twisting and were not clean breaks usually seen with a fall.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said River Region notified his office of the injuries, and the child was immediately placed in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Walter faces 20 years to life in prison if tried and convicted, Smith said at the time of Walter’s initial hearing.

An indictment was also returned against Michael Dewayne Watkins, 24, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, No. 12D, who was arraigned for the March 16 armed robbery of Regions Bank, 4140 E. Clay St.

Watkins was arrested just three hours after the bank was robbed. Investigators said Watkins left behind evidence tying him to the heist. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.

Watkins was also indicted and arraigned for an armed robbery at the Days Inn, 90 Warrenton Road, Dec. 4.

The grand jury was impaneled Monday, and completed its work Thursday.

Jurors reviewed evidence in 113 cases against 124 individuals, returning indictments in 101 of the cases. Twelve no-bills, with not enough evidence to prosecute, were issued on 12 of the cases.

Others indicted and arraigned Thursday were:

• Andrea Gaines, 26, 2721 Alcorn Drive, No. 408, burglary of a dwelling, May 3.

• Clifford A. Geter, 38, 301 N. Fairview Drive, possession of a controlled substance, June 30.

• Darrell Lepercy Green, 47, 1203 Second North St., domestic violence-aggravated assault, Feb. 7; and burglary of a dwelling, March 12.

• Charles Michael Harris, 17, 4114 N. Washington, burglary-nonresidential, June 24.

• Douglas Howard, 43, 1603 Military Ave., uttering a forgery, May 26.

• Albert Deon Jackson, 15, burglary of a dwelling and grand larceny, three incidents on April 24.

• Terrance J. Jackson, 27, 250 Ironwood Drive, aggravated assault, March 21, 2008.

• Terrance L. Jackson, 25, 508 Speed St., vehicle burglary, June 9.

• Christopher Roosevelt Jones, 27, 2805 E. Main St., statutory rape — victim age 14 or 15, April 7, 2008.

• Eugene Charles Lewis, 22, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, burglary of a dwelling, grand larceny and credit card fraud, March 10.

• Daniel Lennell McNesh, 21, 257 Harrison Lane, Bentonia, robbery, Jan. 27.

• Allen Don Overton, 50, 2312 Oak St., aggravated assault- extreme indifference, Feb. 18.

• Gregory Barnard Ragan, 23, 111 Allen Drive, burglary of a dwelling, between July 7 and July 28, 2008.

• Jesse Lee Sawyer, 41, 1125 Ridgeway, Jackson, forgery-counterfeit instrument, Feb. 20.

• Christopher Carlton Strawbridge, 28, 70 Upland Drive, 3 counts uttering a forgery, March 20 March 23 and March 26.

• Michael Dewayne Watkins, 24, 1900 Baldwin Ferry Road, No. 12D, armed robbery, Dec. 4 and March 16.

• Roderick Wayne Williams, 19, 1418 Martin Luther King Blvd, attempted robbery, March 8.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com