A Christmas morning wellness check escalated into a felony arrest after Fort Myers police say a mother sent a graphic video of herself abusing her young daughter, accompanied by text messages threatening to murder her husband with her “bare hands.”
Krysten Ann Happel, 36, was booked into the Lee County Jail on Christmas evening, charged with cruelty toward a child without great bodily harm. She is also being held as a fugitive from justice due to an active warrant out of Georgia.
According to the arrest report filed with the Lee County Clerk of Courts, the investigation began when a concerned acquaintance contacted law enforcement. The witness reported receiving a series of “disturbing” texts and videos from Happel in the early hours of December 25.
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The report indicates that one text message allegedly sent by Happel read: “I ain’t gonna be satisfied till i fu**ing kill him with my bare hands and spend the rest of my life in prison.” The message also allegedly contained threats to set the man on fire.
Police say a video sent alongside the texts showed Happel verbally and physically assaulting her child. The arrest affidavit describes Happel “forcefully tapping and nudging” the toddler’s head—which officers noted is “extremely vulnerable to injury”—while telling the child to “Get your ugly ass out of here.”
At one point in the footage, Happel reportedly threw a blanket over the child’s face in a manner that “could have significantly affected breathing,” while referring to the toddler as a “demonized child.”
Officers located Happel at a Salvation Army, and upon making contact, officers noted the child was found “soaked in her own urine,” appearing as though she had not been changed in hours.
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Investigators also discovered Happel had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court in Georgia.
After being read her Miranda rights, Happel allegedly admitted to the conduct. The report states she “took credit for the text messages” and admitted to “doing what was done” in the video.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) was notified and has taken custody of the child. Happel is scheduled to appear in court on January 26, 2026.
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