Heber City Council candidate Jami Hewlett has been charged with misdemeanor child abuse.
Court documents show Heber City Police recommended Hewlett, 49, be charged with a class B misdemeanor for child abuse on June 24. The charge was reviewed by county attorneys and officially filed into the court system on Tuesday.
Wednesday, Hewlett said that she was aware of the charge that has been filed.
“I want to be clear that I strongly deny any criminal wrongdoing,” Hewlett said. “I am fully cooperating with the legal process and look forward to the opportunity to resolve this matter through the appropriate channels.”
When they recommended Hewlett’s charge, police were also reviewing a third-degree felony charge against Hewlett’s husband, Mike Hewlett, for alleged retaliation against a witness. He is a candidate for Heber City mayor.
Police reviewed a Child Abuse Neglect Report on May 20, which detailed instances of alleged child abuse by Hewlett. The report details instances of alleged child abuse that go back to Sept. 10, 2021, when one child was taken to the hospital after a disagreement over her phone.
“The referent said that the step mother [Jami] tackled [victim] … and held her on the ground. [Victim] was not responding afterwards,” the report reads.
The child was then taken to the emergency room in Heber City. On another occasion, that same child details another alleged incident when Hewlett “forced her to go down a hard hill” on a ski run.
“The referent said that she broke her arm and they refused to get medical care for days (while she was complaining of pain),” the report reads. “The referent said that they were making fun of her for asking for a doctor.”
Interviewed again on June 2, the same child outlined an alleged event when she did not want to join a Disney on Ice trip. She said that Hewlett “became upset” and “went downstairs to grab their pictures from Disney on Ice,” and allegedly threw them at the child.
She went on to claim that Hewlett would “hold [victim] by the arms” and tell her siblings to “attack her.”
Hewlett said that “out of respect for everyone involved and because of the sensitivity of the situation,” she would not answer further questions about her charge at this time.
Hewlett, 49, has been wrapped up in three other charges or court cases this year, including a class B misdemeanor for criminal trespassing at Lagoon Amusement Park on May 18, a class A misdemeanor for stalking filed June 23, and a stalking petition filed June 9.