Oregon family that plunged off California cliff had ties to Minnesota

One of the mothers involved in the suspicious California cliff crash that killed her seven-member family pleaded guilty to domestic assault after a child abuse investigation in Alexandria, Minn., nearly seven years ago.

Sarah M. Hart, 38, was charged with malicious punishment of a child and the misdemeanor assault charge in Douglas County after her then 6-year-old daughter told authorities her mother spanked her and left bruises on her stomach and back in 2010.

Hart, and her wife, Jennifer Hart, also 38, are the parents of six adopted children and had been living in Washington. It was unclear when or why they left Minnesota.

The family is presumed dead after the SUV one of them was driving plunged off the California coastline more than a week ago.

Information pulled from the vehicle's software showed the SUV had stopped at a flat, dirt pull-off area before it sped off the steep rocky face and plunged 100 feet, Capt. Greg Baarts with the California Highway Patrol Northern Division said Sunday.

Baarts said the electronic information combined with the lack of skid marks or signs the driver braked led authorities to believe the crash was purposeful.

The child abuse allegations in Minnesota may be of increasing relevance because officials in Washington had opened an investigation into the family three days before a passing motorist found the SUV.

In that case, the child reported that her mother "had hit her and .. had put her in the bathtub and turned on the cold water and hit her," according to the Alexandria police report. The child said she was punished for picking up a penny and putting it into her pocket.

The child also told authorities that sometimes she was denied food.

The perplexing thing about the report is that the child said it was Jennifer Hart who hit her and not Sarah. However, Sarah Hart admitted to striking the child when interview by a detective, according to the police report.

"Sarah stated she was upset at (the child) for lying. She stated she went to (give her) a bath and in doing so, had bent her over the tub and gave her some swats to her backside ... By Sarah's own admission, she stated that the spanking got out of control and was not proper and was 'too much,'" the police report said.

Washington neighbors called protection workers

The two women were found dead inside the SUV, while three of their children — Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14 — were discovered outside the vehicle. Searchers were looking for Hannah Hart, 16; Sierra Hart, 12; and Devonte Hart, 15.

Devonte drew national attention after the black youngster was photographed in tears, hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest in Portland, Ore., over the deadly police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Mo. Devonte was holding a "Free Hugs" sign.

Police said Monday that social service authorities in Oregon contacted the West Linn Police Department about the family in 2013 while they were living in the area.

The questions were referred to the Oregon Department of Human Services, which cited privacy laws in refusing to confirm or deny the agency was involved.

Two weeks ago, Bruce and Dana DeKalb, next-door neighbors of the Harts in Woodland, Wash., called state Child Protective Services because Devonte Hart had been coming over to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food.

Dana DeKalb said Devonte told her his parents were "punishing them by withholding food." The boy asked her to leave food in a box by the fence for him, she said.

Social service authorities opened an investigation, and a state caseworker went to the house on March 23 but didn't find anyone home. The agency had no prior history with the family, said Norah West, a spokesperson with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.

On April 29, authorities in Washington state combed through the family's home for information. The Clark County Sheriff's Office said deputies were looking for bills, receipts or anything else to shed light on why the family left and other circumstances related to the trip, KGW-TV reported.

"To the best of my knowledge, there was not a suicide note found at the residence," said Capt. Baarts, who added that authorities have been interviewing friends and family members of the Harts.

"There have been red flags," he said but did not elaborate.

Capt. Greg Van Patten, a spokesperson for the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, said he was not aware of any other evidence of abuse.

Family friend Max Ribner last week took issue with the notion it was something other than a tragic accident. The couple adopted the six children, many of whom came from "hard backgrounds," he said. "They transformed these kids' lives."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.