Louisville grandmother charged as third defendant after two children hospitalized with severe injuries in Valley Station

Third arrest widens criminal case involving two hospitalized children

A Louisville grandmother has been charged as a third defendant in a child abuse investigation after two young children were hospitalized with severe injuries, court records show. The case involves a family living on Goldenrod Road in the Valley Station area and has led to felony-level charges against two parents and one grandparent within a two-day span.

Yvonne Shanks, 49, was arrested Friday and charged with complicity to assault (domestic violence), complicity to criminal abuse of a child 12 or under, complicity to wanton endangerment, and complicity to endangering the welfare of a minor. She pleaded not guilty in court Saturday and is being held on a $250,000 cash bond. Her next court date is set for Jan. 26, 2026.

Timeline: Hospital visit on Jan. 15 led investigators to a second child

Detectives were contacted after a 2-year-old was taken to a Louisville hospital on Jan. 15, 2026, in full cardiac arrest. Police records state the child arrived by private vehicle and that 911 was not called.

Medical assessments documented multiple injuries and signs of serious neglect, including a skull fracture, missing teeth, older rib fractures, extensive bruising, severe anemia, lab indicators consistent with muscle and organ injury, and extreme underweight/emaciation. The child was later transferred to Norton Children’s Hospital, records show.

Following that report, police went to the Goldenrod Road home to locate other children. A second child, about 1 year old, was found with visible injuries, and emergency medical services were called. The child was transported to Norton Children’s Hospital, where staff documented possible skull and jaw fractures, blood inside the skull, facial lacerations, mouth and nose trauma, severe anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and extreme underweight/emaciation.

Parents charged; prosecutors allege failure to seek emergency medical care

The children’s parents, Nicholas Shanks, 27, and Shelby Kuntz, 25, were arrested Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. They face two counts each of assault (domestic violence), criminal abuse of a child 12 or under, wanton endangerment, and endangering the welfare of a minor. Both pleaded not guilty in court on Jan. 16, and a judge set bond for each at $500,000 full cash.

Court documents state the parents were the only people who had been around the children and were the only two in custody of them.

Grandmother’s alleged role centers on awareness of injuries

In the grandmother’s arrest paperwork, police allege she observed injuries to the younger child on the morning of Jan. 15 but did not call 911 or obtain medical treatment. The complicity charges reflect allegations that she permitted the child to remain in the care of someone who caused serious physical injuries.

• Case location: Goldenrod Road, Valley Station area of Louisville
• Key dates: Jan. 15–18, 2026 (hospitalizations, arrests, initial court appearances)
• Next scheduled hearing: Jan. 26, 2026 (grandmother)

Charges described in court filings are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.