Florida mom is accused of heavily beating teen son, leaving lasting scars on the body for being ‘bad in school’: charged
Florida woman is accused of severe physical abuse against both her young son and a senior citizen who had offered her shelter. The Miami Shores Police Department has arrested 31-year-old Jasmine Jean-Baptiste, charging her with aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm and aggravated abuse of an elderly or disabled adult.
The investigation into Jean-Baptiste’s actions began in the early hours of a Thursday morning when she reported her son missing. The 13-year-old was later found at his godmother’s workplace, a local school, leading to a shocking revelation of prolonged abuse.
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According to the boy, his ordeal began with his stepfather, who inflicted injuries severe enough to leave scars and cause the loss of a tooth through beatings. The abuse reportedly included forcing the boy to maintain a squatting position for extended periods as a form of punishment.
However, the abuse did not end after the boy moved away from his stepfather. After relocating to Miami Shores with his mother and sisters, the teenager reported that his mother inflicted similar punishments. He detailed how his mother would strike him with a belt buckle, leaving lasting scars, and subject him to the same punishing squatting sessions without water, especially after he had been “bad in school.”
The situation escalated to a point where Jean-Baptiste allegedly threatened her son’s life, prompting school officials to alert the Florida Department of Children and Families. The boy’s godmother and his school coach both corroborated his claims of ongoing abuse.
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The other victim, a 65-year-old man who had previously welcomed Jean-Baptiste and her children into his home, also suffered under her care. Initially meeting Jean-Baptiste when she and her young son were living out of a car, he had extended his help out of compassion. However, his kindness was repaid with violence, as detailed in police reports. Jean-Baptiste is accused of physically assaulting the senior, including striking him across the face with a knife-sharpening tool and delivering a so-called “sucker punch” that resulted in blindness in his left eye and the loss of a tooth.
Authorities shared that the elderly man was afraid to report the abuse due to fear of retaliation from Jean-Baptiste, who had a history of aggressive behavior, evidenced by a prior arrest for assaulting him. During the investigation, the senior expressed a desire to prioritize the safety of the children over his own, demonstrating the severity of the situation he and the boy faced.
The arrest report included disturbing photographic evidence provided by the victims, showing bruises, contusions, and lacerations consistent with their accounts of abuse. Jean-Baptiste initially denied the allegations, attributing her son’s injuries to accidents and blaming the scars on abuse from the stepfather. However, her statements reportedly changed during police questioning, with some admissions redacted from the public report.
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Jean-Baptiste was taken into custody and held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, as the community and authorities deal with the aftermath of this harrowing case of domestic abuse.
