Carson Woman Arrested for Felony Child Abuse

A 31-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Saturday on suspicion of felony child abuse or neglect following a domestic disturbance investigation.

Deputies were dispatched to a home along U.S. Highway 50 East for a reported dispute after receiving information that the woman was attempting to pick up her daughter at the residence. When deputies arrived, the woman told them it had been her father’s birthday the previous day.

She said the child had gone to her grandfather’s residence earlier and ended up staying overnight. The woman said she went to pick up her daughter, but no one answered the door.

Deputies noted in the report that the woman appeared very agitated during the interaction.

The woman’s mother told deputies that the suspect had been drinking and had hit her daughter. When asked about the allegation, the woman reportedly admitted to striking the child, telling deputies, “yeah, I hit her.”

She then voluntarily provided a preliminary breath test, which showed a partial reading of .126, according to the report.

Deputies later spoke with the child at the residence. The girl told officers she had been playing with a friend when her mother called her home to do the dishes. She said she completed the chore and later asked to return to her friend’s house because she had left her tablet there.

According to the report, the child said her mother then grabbed her arms and struck her in the face. She said she contacted another adult to pick her up because she did not want to remain with her mother.

The child told deputies she was afraid to return with her mother because she believed she was intoxicated, the report states.

Deputies reported that the child appeared visibly shaken during the interview and showed them a video documenting injuries to her arms and face.

Deputies observed scratches and bruising on both arms, along with minor swelling and a red mark on the upper right lip. They photographed the injuries for evidence.

When deputies questioned the woman again, she reportedly stated that if her daughter listened, there would not be a problem and asked an officer if she was allowed to hit her child.

The deputy told her that parents can discipline their children but cannot leave marks, according to the report.

The woman declined to answer further questions about how the injuries occurred. She was arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse or neglect and booked into custody.