In a harrowing incidence of alleged child abuse, a Miami woman, Genesis Yaelin Pena, 30, has been accused of harming her 3-year-old son. Local 10 reported that concerned neighbors heard a child's screams and the mother's threats to "cut his tongue" and "rip his head off." Police were called to the apartment on Northwest 7th Avenue early Wednesday, but the woman, refusing to open the door, claimed the crying was from a "fake baby," per the arrest report.
It was not until Pena's mother arrived and convinced her to allow the officers in, that the child was seen with multiple injuries, including facial bruises, which the NBC Miami detailed in their coverage; subsequently, the Florida Department of Children and Families took the boy into custody, and Pena, after a failed interview attempt by detectives due to her incoherence, was arrested and booked on a charge of child abuse causing no great bodily harm.
During yesterday's court appearance, Pena was granted a $5,000 bond and ordered to have no contact with her son, as reported by NBC Miami, which also noted that the Department of Children and Families is actively involved following the incident to ensure the well-being of the child.
Pena's arrest has sparked conversations around mental health and the safety net for children in abusive situations, as she exhibited signs of incoherence, and now there are questions surrounding the events leading up to the night of her arrest and the systems in place to address such tragic familial disturbances.
