The police in Daytona Beach arrested two women at Seabreeze Boulevard after they were apparently seen “tossing” a baby “back and forth.”
The two women, Sierrah Newell, 20, and Brianna Lafoe, 19, were reportedly arrested around 1:30 a.m. early Thursday morning near the Coyote Ugly Saloon, according to the Dayton Beach News-Journal.
The police responded after a witness told them that there were two women “aggressively” handling a small child and “throwing him in the air” and “flipping him upside down.”
Those at the bar and other witnesses approached one of the women about the apparent abuse. However, one of the women hit a witness while holding the child with one hand. The witness who was struck was apparently recording the scene. In response, the woman allegedly screamed “threats.”
“[S]he started throwing the baby up and down a little too aggressively,” Jahada Rasheed, a witness, said. “And then what she did that really surprised me, then she put the baby upside down. It was like hold up. This is getting way too far.”
The police indicated that Newell “was on crutches and threatening to his bystanders.” Officers eventually got footage from witnesses, which reportedly showed what the struck witness said had occurred. The affidavit stated that the baby was “aggressively swung up and down, shaken upside-down by the ankles and tossed back and forth ‘like a toy’ over a distance of about 4 feet.”
Business owners in the area were apparently horrified at the incident. Shawn Knapp, manager of Crazy John’s Dayton Beach, said: “To be out there, dressed like that, with a baby. It hurts. You have to feel for that baby.”
He went on to mention that the city of Dayton Beach would like to have more surveillance cameras installed, so that incidents like this do not happen again.
“We want people to know, hey, watch what you’re doing out here. It’s being recorded,” Knapp added.
The baby was soon taken to Halifax Health for treatment of any possible injuries, including “red marks on his back.” An X-ray was reportedly taken during the hospital visit, which revealed a mark that authorities said “could indicate a broken arm.” However, confirmation of any broken limbs has not been confirmed.
The child was subsequently released from the hospital, according to the report.
The two women are facing the same felony charge of “cruelty toward a child,” according to the affidavit. Additionally, Lafoe is also facing a misdemeanor battery charge. She is currently being held on a $3,500 bond, while Newell has been released, according the report.
Police: 2 women face charges for tossing baby back and forth in Volusia Countywww.youtube.com
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