A disturbing case of child abuse has surfaced from Broward County where Tania Contreras, a 39-year-old mother from West Park, is accused of smearing feces on her young son as a punitive measure. Contreras was apprehended on Tuesday on an aggravated child abuse charge, according to jail records.

After a tipoff to the state's child abuse hotline, a Department of Children and Family investigator visited Contreras' home on May 11, as reported by NBC Miami. The mother handed over her cellphone, and the investigator found a video depicting the young boy, who was naked, with feces spread across his face, chest, and arms while in a shower.

The heinous act, Contreras said, was a result of her son not informing her of his accident. "Tania stated she recorded herself smearing feces all over her son, as a form of punishment so he would learn to not defecate on himself again," explained the arrest report. In an interview with Local 10 News, the report detailed that the boy, whose age was not specified, was also seen crying in the video.

Further investigations revealed a history of physical abuse, with the child bearing multiple old scars, scratches, marks, and bruises on his legs and arms. The report noted one particular incident where Conceit claimed she disciplined her son with a belt after he ran to the front of a grocery store without waiting for her. Contreras also admitted to striking the child with her cellphone after he broke its screen, arguing that such physical punishment is commonplace in her homeland, Venezuela.

During her court appearance, Contreras was granted a $15,000 bond, but she remains in custody under an immigration hold, per the latest updates from jail records. A full medical report detailing the extent of the child's injuries is pending, while the community grapples with the shocking details of this case. "The offender advised she was punished harshly as a child, and would show up to school with black eyes," as reported by the NBC Miami.