MIAMI – A 30-year-old Miami woman was arrested early Wednesday morning after police responded to a disturbing child abuse case involving her 3-year-old son, who was found with multiple bruises on his face, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The incident began just after 2:30 a.m. when Miami police were contacted about a possible case of child abuse and neglect.
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An officer who had initially responded to the scene following an anonymous 911 call, informed authorities that a neighbor had reported hearing a child screaming and crying inside an apartment near the 1100 block of Northwest Seventh Avenue.
The caller claimed they overheard 30-year-old Genesis Yaelin Pena threatening to “cut his tongue” and “rip his head off” when speaking to the child, according to police.
Upon arrival at the apartment complex, police said they attempted to gain access to the building. As they were trying to enter, another 911 call came in, reporting that Pena was still hitting the child, according to an arrest report.
Officers eventually made their way upstairs to the apartment, where they could hear the boy crying inside. A responding officer knocked multiple times, but the woman refused to open the door, the report stated.
At one point, police said Pena claimed that the cries were coming from a “fake baby” and continued to refuse to open the door.
For over an hour, police said they attempted to persuade the mother to let them in, but Pena remained defiant.
The situation took a turn when Pena’s mother arrived at the scene and, after a tense conversation over the phone, convinced her daughter to unlock the door, investigators confirmed.
Once inside, officers said they discovered the toddler with multiple visible injuries, including bruises and redness on his face. MPD’s Identification Unit was called to the scene to photograph the child’s injuries as part of the investigation.
At approximately 7 a.m., both the mother and her son were transported to MPD’s Special Victims Unit office.
Detectives attempted to interview Pena who they said was read her Miranda rights and agreed to speak without an attorney present. However, the interview was cut short due to concerns about her mental state. Police described her as being “incoherent” during the questioning, according to her arrest report.
Authorities said the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified and took custody of the child. The boy was later transported to the Child Protective Services team for a medical evaluation, the report stated.
Jail records show Pena is facing one count of child abuse without great bodily harm.
As of Thursday, she was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond had not yet been determined.