Oklahoma crime briefs, Feb. 9

An Oklahoma City man was arrested on a complaint of public drunkenness after he told officers he was searching the sewers for a new species of dangerous insects. Joseph Elliot, 21, was seen about 5:20 p.m. Wednesday kneeling in the street next to a storm drain in the area of 2200 S Eastern Ave. Elliot told police he heard there was a new species of insect living in the sewers and he needed to discover them before they started hurting people, according to the police report. Police described Elliot as slow with slurred speech and reported he broke into sporadic fits of hysterical giggling. The officer asked Elliot if he was on any drugs and Elliot replied, “Just oxygen and water,” according to the police report. He was taken to the Oklahoma County jail and was released Thursday.

Mom waives hearing in abuse case

POTEAU — A Le Flore County woman accused of allowing her live-in boyfriend to fatally beat her 4-month-old son waived her right to a preliminary hearing, court officials said Friday. Kayla Furney, 24, of Wilburton, is charged with enabling child abuse by injury, records show. Aaron Ray Wesley Hinson, 25, of Howe, was sentenced to life in April for the death of Aiden Furney. The infant died May 12, 2009. Kayla Furney and Hinson lived together. Trial testimony showed that Hinson left his shoeprint on Aiden's torso and fractured his skull. An autopsy showed that the child died from blunt force trauma. Furney is scheduled to return to court March 13, court records show.

Woman sentenced in toddler's death

MIAMI — An Ottawa County woman was sentenced Friday to life in prison with the chance of parole in the death of a 17-month-old boy, a prosecutor said. Skye Reece, 21, of Quapaw, was convicted in December of first-degree murder in the Feb. 12 death of Lanceton Hollenbeck. Reece was living with Ryan Nowlin, the toddler's father. Lanceton was at his father's house for a weekend visit. District Attorney Eddie Wyant said Reece will have to serve at least 38 years before she becomes eligible for parole. The toddler died from blunt trauma, the autopsy report showed.