BERLIN, Ga. – A South Georgia woman is accused of trying to smother her daughter with a blanket late last month, authorities said.
The girl’s mother and stepfather, whose names are being withheld to protect the identity of the victim, were charged with first-degree cruelty to children and two counts of third-degree cruelty to children, according to The Moultrie Observer. The woman was also charged with aggravated assault, possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, drugs to be kept in their original container and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, the newspaper reported.
The stepfather was also charged with felony terroristic threats and acts and with battery — family violence.
The girl’s age was not released by authorities.
According to the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on Nov. 28 and was captured on video by the woman’s son. The video showed the woman attempting to take her daughter’s cellphone and the child refusing, the Observer reported.
The woman took a Hello Kitty blanket from a nearby couch and attempted to smother her daughter, sheriff’s office investigator Christ Robinson said.
“The daughter was able to fight her mother off after getting some blows to the side of her head,” Robinson said. “(The woman) then went to get the stepfather, who was outside.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the stepfather took the cellphone from the child and smashed it into a television stand. The man then threw the broken cellphone at his stepdaughter.
“After throwing the phone, (the man) told the girl, ‘I’m gonna stab you in the heart with a butcher knife,’” Robinson said.
Deputies were dispatched to the home and attempted to arrest the woman, the Observer reported.
“She resisted for a little bit and had to be wrangled into the back of a patrol unit,” Robinson told the newspaper. “Within her pocket, there were three Xanax pills not in their original container. The stepfather was arrested without any incident.”
The children at the home were taken from the scene by another family member, the Observer reported. The woman and stepfather were booked into the Colquitt County Jail and were denied bail, according to the newspaper.
“They’re going to be with us for a while, I suspect,” Robinson said.
