Mom’s ‘severe beating’ of young son with extension cord ends in arrest, Florida cops say

A woman’s use of an extension cord in disciplining a child led to her being jailed on child abuse charges, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim is a 7-year-old boy and the suspect is his 30-year-old mother, the sheriff’s office said in an April 27 news release.

Investigators say the mom, who lives in Bunnell, Florida, carried discipline too far last month, with a “beating” that left her son covered in “marks” for days. Bunnell is about 75 miles northeast of Orlando.

McClatchy News is not naming the woman to protect the identity of the child.

“During an April 7 interview it was learned that she struck her ... child with an extension cord multiple times for bad behavior in late March,” sheriff’s office said.

“On April 8, it was discovered the child still had visible marks on multiple areas of his body.”

A month-long investigation and forensic exam concluded “physical abuse had taken place” during the incident, officials said.

The woman was arrested Saturday, April 23, and charged with felony “child abuse without great bodily harm,” officials said. She was released later that day on $2,500 bond, jail records show.

“This is a traumatic situation for the child,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in the release.

“While parent’s have the right to appropriately discipline their child this was a severe beating. We offered the mother assistance during this process and she refused it. Now, we have to do what is necessary to keep her child safe.”

The sheriff’s office did not say if mother and son were reunited after her release or if the boy was placed in alternative housing.

This story was originally published April 27, 2022 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Mom’s ‘severe beating’ of young son with extension cord ends in arrest, Florida cops say."