Put your hands behind your back, please. Yes, ma'am. I am serious. Yes, ma'am. Go and drop what's in your hands, please.
Give me one second. Okay. Yeah, we can put all this back in your car, yeah.” “Don't turn it.” “Uh I will I will grab your ID really quick.
Do you have your keys with you or your wallet? Yes, ma'am, you are.”
“Can I call my sister to get him or like.” “Yeah, that's fine.” “Just your friend or what?” “Am I being charged with something?”
“Yes, domestic violence.” “Say that again, I'm sorry.” “Am I being charged with something?” “Yep. Yes, ma'am.
At the very least, you're being charged with assault if not more. Yes, ma'am.”
“All right. Yes. You can't beat someone like that. Let's go out back here. Walk to the car.”
“During questioning, the mother acknowledged that she had gone too far in disciplining her son and said she had noticed welts, while denying that she understood the full extent of his injuries.” “Um so, what exactly happened?” “I don't know what all happened.
I don't.”
“I I'm sorry. I did go too far. He hid the belt. I usually wouldn't whip him with a belt.” “Mhm.”
“Um and it's like I've never whipped him this bad. So, I.” “Okay.”
“I probably did go a little too far in the disciplining him, but I didn't realize he had any any like you said he had open wounds or something. I didn't realize he had that. And I just looked up and I noticed he had welts. You know, so I was going I was planning on leaving to look for him.” “Mhm.
Now, there was some previous scarring on him.
What was that from?” “Um he's an active kid.” “I got you.”
“He climbs and he hides and he I mean, he was running.” “I mean, it was whips all around his body, so don't lie to me, okay?” “He's got acting up really bad. acting up really bad.” “Okay, is this a repetitive thing?”
“He's been acting up since me and my ex broke up in February.” “Is this something he's going through or is it like kind of like a.” “acting up really bad.” “Okay.”
“running going all ways in the neighborhood, going to the hospital without permission.” “And just for clarification, when you say you um have hit him with a a belt before is that.” “Usually, I spank him on the butt with a belt.” “Okay.”
“So, this time I didn't have a belt cuz he hid it, so he used an extension cord.” “Okay, how'd you use that?” “I spanked him with it.” “Okay, like in a whipping fashion or.”
“Yeah.” “Okay, I got you.”
The mother admitted that her discipline had gone too far. However, her remorse didn't seem very genuine when the officers realized that she was also babysitting other kids.
“Anything else? Um do you babysit for a living?” “I do.” “Okay. Um, do you have anyone coming over today?”
“Not today. I mean, if they try to drop the kids off and I'm not here, they don't.”
“Right, that's on them, but um.” “I can't I can't call all the people I babysit for.” “Right. Okay. Um I'm just going to be blunt blunt with you.
Do you discipline the other children?” “No, no. Just my son.”
“Okay, is that your only kid?” “That's my only child.” “Okay. Um All right, how do you discipline other children?” “I don't discipline other children.”
“So, if you just let them go?” “I mean, I I don't put my hands on them.” “You might yell at them and be like, "Hey, don't do that." or something like that?” “I tell them to sit down and be quiet.
They're He's been acting up really bad cuz he's going through a lot right now. That's what she told us.”
Officers also learned that she babysat other children but said she did not use physical discipline with them. The contrast raised further concern for the officers.
“Yeah, so the medics are at the hospital with him right now. We're trying to get your aunt Oh, not your aunt, but his aunt, your sister, to go pick him up. Um Now, I will advise you, we are going to call Child Protective Services. Do you have any questions for us right now?” “No, I I guess I made a mistake.
I got to deal with.” “Things happen.”
Ultimately, she was arrested and charged with neglect of a person younger than the age of 18, and the 12-year-old was handed over to a relative after he found the courage to seek help. However, the next child victim, who was badly beaten up, wanted to protect her abusive mother instead of reporting her.
“I kind of like she kind of like popped me and stuff.” “I'm snatching her by her hair and just like was beating on her like a grown woman. About like the fist, like punching her like.”
officers would ensure the child was secured and taken away from her mother.
“anything.” “We want to keep you safe. That's all I want for you.” “So I sat there and I whooped her. She turned around and.”
“Hold on with me for just a minute.”
“All right, listen. You're under arrest for child.”
It started when a woman called the police saying her friend beat up her 11-year-old daughter.