Sapulpa Police Continue Search For Man Accused Of Burning 3-Month-Old Baby

Sapulpa police are searching for a Tulsa man who they say badly burned his three-month-old son, then waited hours to call for help. Officers believe 27-year-old Taylor Ryon is in the Tulsa area.

Sapulpa police said the baby boy is being treated at a hospital out of state not only for his burns, but also for a broken skull and broken ribs. He is expected to recover.

The arrest warrant said the father, Taylor Ryon and the baby's mom waited eight hours to call 911. Sapulpa Police say Ashley Paulhamus called 911 on March 3, asking for an ambulance to come to the Winstar Motel in Town West.

When investigators arrived, they found a three-month-old baby with burns to 35-percent of his body, along with a broken skull, a brain bleed and several broken ribs. “The child was transported to a hospital in Tulsa,” said Sapulpa Police captain Mike Sole. “He was treated there overnight then medically flown to an out of state hospital."

Sapulpa Police issued arrest warrants for Paulhamus, and the baby's father, Taylor Ryon, who was gone before they got there. Both are charged with child neglect.

Investigators say the couple waited eight hours after the baby was burned to call 911. “With the child being that severely injured, waiting that long would constitute as neglect,” said Sole.

Records show Paulhamus turned herself into the Tulsa County Jail the day the warrant was issued. Paulhamus’s attorney, Brian Boeheim, said she waited to call for help because, “There's a domestic violence component to this and the choices she made were not always her choice.”

The baby boy is in DHS Custody. Her attorney said since Paulhamus bonded out of jail, she's been working to take care of her health and well-being to hopefully be reunited with her child.

“She's taking care of her health and well-being so she will be able to be a mother to this young child,” said Boeheim. "I think it says volumes that she took the child to get medical care, and turned herself into police and the other individual is still on the run."

Captain Sole said this is one of the worst child abuse cases he's seen in his career. "This baby needs someone to stand up for him and hopefully by getting this guy in jail we can do that,” said Sole.

If you know where Ryon could be, call Sapulpa Police at 918-224-3862.