Lamar woman charged with endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of domestic assault

A Lamar woman punched a child, then held his head under a water faucet causing the child to fear he was being drowned, according to a probable cause statement filed Saturday in Barton County Circuit Court.

The Barton County Prosecuting Attorney's office charged Tina L. Fiala (DOB 1973) with two counts of domestic assault and a single count of endangering the welfare of a child. 

From the probable cause statement:

On June 21, 2025, officers were dispatched to 600 E. 17th, Lamar, MO regarding a missing child. When arriving on scene, Tina Fiala told officers if the child was found not to bring him home.

After the victim was located and safe, he said he ran away from home because he was scared. Officers asked him why he was scared and he said Tina turned the bathroom sink on and placed a washcloth at the bottom of the sink to clog the drain.

The suspect then attempted to place the victim's head under the faucet and he was scared she was going to drown him.

The victim broke free by escaping out the front door on foot and traveling to a point of safety. The victim told officers Tina had hit him on the right side of the mouth using a closed fist. The victim had a large hematoma on his upper lip on the right side of his face, red marks on his jawline and his eyelid on the right side of his face.

The case was investigated by the Lamar Police Department.