A Florida woman has been accused of burning her 9-year-old son with a hot iron as punishment for being forgetful.
Police arrested Tamecha Jean, 32, in Broward County and charged her with aggravated child abuse on April 17, reports the Daily Mail.
The mother of three allegedly burned her son twice on the chest for forgetting to take some papers to school, WFOR reported.
Investigators with Pembroke Pines Police Department and the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed Jean told them she was whipping her son with a belt while holding a hot iron in her hand. She claims the iron may have touched him by accident.
“It’s just outrageous to use a hot iron as a type of punishment,” said Pembroke Pines Police Department Capt. Al Xiques. “It seems more like a type of torture. Maybe she accidentally burned him twice while trying to spank him with a belt.”
In court on April 17, Jean’s attorney asked the judge to be released on a $1,500 bail. Prosecutors asked for a higher amount.
“I’m sorry, the violence alleged in this case is just so aggravating that it completely outweighs any mitigating factors, your honor. I’m going to be requesting a $20,000 bond,” said Prosecutor Eric Linder.
Judge Christopher Pole determined Jean did not have to pay any bail money, releasing her on her own recognizance with an ankle monitor.
“What I’m going to do is, I’m going to release her ROR to Level 2 pre-trial, released with an [ankle] monitor,” Pole told the court. “I’m going to ask pre-trial to waive the cost of a pre-trial monitor. She is to have no contact in any form or manner with her three children until further order of the family court division.”
The same judge told Jean during her second appearance in family court that she could have supervised visits with two of her children, but will not be able to be with her 9-year-old son. All three children have been taken into state-licensed foster care.
“Your honor, the child is fearful of his mother,” a prosecutor said. “We would ask for no contact with the mother. He is afraid of his mother.”
An anonymous person had reported the abuse to a statewide hotline set up for the purpose, Piques told the SunSentinel.
The alleged child abuse took place in February, but police found two scars on the boy’s chest, indicating past burns, which correlates with the child’s statements to police, a report reveals.
Authorities have not received prior reports of child abuse at Jean’s home, Piques said.
Sources: WFOR, Daily Mail, Sun-Sentinel / Photo credit: WenPhotos/Pixabay, Broward Sheriff’s Office via Daily Mail
