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Romulus woman will not be charged for stabbing teenage son

Questions police response to calls for help
Posted at 11:42 PM, Oct 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-18 11:55:55-04

A Romulus mother who stabbed her 16-year-old son last week during a fight over a cell phone and a radio will not be charged.

The decision was made Monday by the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Prosecutor Kym Worthy said 45-year-old Debra Cummings acted in self-defense during a domestic dispute October 10th in a home in the 6000 block of Chamberlain Street.

Cummings used a kitchen knife to stab her 16-year-old son after he attacked her for taking away his cell phone and a radio as punishment for being expelled from school 180 days.

The teen has a history of committing assault, according to prosecutors. His injuries were not life threatening.

Worthy noted that Romulus police were called twice by Cummings as she sought help controlling her son, but they did not immediately respond.

Cummings told 7 Action News she called a number given to her by police in case she needed their help controlling the teen.

She called 911 ten minutes after making the first call, but police didn't show up to the house until she called a third time and told them she had stabbed her son.

Cummings said the house and the teen's history of violence were known to police. She believes officers failed her and her family because of the past incidents.

"That's probably why it too so long. It was 'oh it's that lady calling again about her son.' It's okay. He'll
be alright. He'll sleep it off. You know, if somebody saying I'm scared for my life why don't you come?," Cummings said.

Cummings has temporarily lost custody of three other children because of the stabbing incident. She is also closing the daycare center she ran out of the home because of publicity surrounding the incident.

She said those outcomes could have been avoided had police responded on time.

"He would have been in the hospital. And I would my babies. We wouldn't be sitting here right now, me trying to
get them back," she said.