Violent Incident Involving Couple Charged in Baby Death

LUFKIN — A Lufkin father accused of injury to a child in the death of his infant son was arrested Sunday for allegedly beating the child’s mother in the head with a pistol over transferring a title. Mark and Vanessa Clark, both 32, are charged in the death of their infant son after losing another child the same way 18 months earlier. Both cases involved allowing the child to sleep in the same bed as the parents, a practice strongly discouraged by child welfare experts. The couple got into a fight over a title transfer Sunday afternoon, according to an arrest warrant.

KETK and the Lufkin Daily News report that when police arrived at their home, Vanessa, bleeding from a head wound, told them Mark threw her to the ground and started punching her. She said he then held her down by putting his knees to her chest, causing her difficulty in breathing, the affidavit stated. After that she said he hit her in the back of the head with the .380 pistol he often keeps in his pocket, according to the affidavit. He then went outside to leave their home in his Ford Expedition while she dialed 9-1-1.

Upon realizing he was trying to leave, Vanessa told police she ran outside and got in front of the SUV to stop him. According to the affidavit, Mark then bumped her with the SUV, knocking her to the ground. She told police after that he put the SUV in reverse and left. Vanessa told police she expected Mark to be at his mother’s home. Police located Mark at his mother’s home although he had pulled his SUV into the woods near the home, the affidavit stated.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers located a box of .380 ammo but were unable to find the pistol. Mark was then arrested and taken to the Angelina County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault and family violence, causing serious bodily injury, a second degree felony. If convicted, Mark faces up to 20 years in prison.