A 30-year-old Miami woman was arrested early Wednesday morning after police investigated a troubling child abuse case involving her 3-year-old son, who was discovered with many bruises on his face, authorities said Thursday. The event began shortly after 2:30 a.m., when Miami police were notified of a probable case of child abuse and neglect.
An officer who had initially rushed to the site after receiving an anonymous 911 call alerted authorities that a neighbor had reported hearing a child screaming and sobbing inside an apartment in the 1100 block of Northwest Seventh Avenue.
According to authorities, the caller claimed to have overheard Genesis Yaelin Pena, 30, threaten to “cut his tongue” and “rip his head off” while chatting to the child.
When police arrived to the apartment complex, they said they tried to enter the building. According to an arrest record, another 911 call was received as they were attempting to enter, alleging that Pena was still beating the child.
Officers ultimately made their way upstairs to the flat and could hear the boy screaming inside. A responding officer knocked on the door many times, but the woman refused to open it, according to the report. At one point, police said Pena claimed the screams were coming from a “fake baby” and refused to open the door.
Police said they tried for almost an hour to persuade the mother to let them in, but Pena refused.
The scenario changed when Pena’s mother came on the scene and, after a tense phone call, persuaded her daughter to unlock the door, investigators said.
When authorities entered, they located the toddler with numerous visible injuries, including bruises and redness on his face. The MPD’s Identification Unit was dispatched to the location to photograph the child’s injuries as part of the investigation.
The mother and son were transported to MPD’s Special Victims Unit headquarters at 7 a.m.
Detectives attempted to question Pena, who allegedly was read her Miranda rights and agreed to speak without a counsel present. However, the interview was stopped short because of concerns about her mental health. According to her arrest record, police described her as “incoherent” while being questioned.
Authorities stated the Florida Department of Children and Families was called and taken custody of the youngster. The youngster was eventually taken to the Child Protective Services team for medical evaluation, according to the report.
According to jail records, Pena faces one count of child abuse without serious bodily damage. As of Thursday, she was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond had yet to be established.
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