Police searching for woman seen beating child

WNDU ^ | 9/19/02

[TomB]

The Mishawaka Police Department recently received a surveillance video taken from Kohl's Department Store on Grape Road in Mishawaka. The video shows a young girl, approximately four-years-old, apparently being severely beaten. Police are asking for the public's help in tracking down the woman and young girl. They say they are very worried about the girl's safety and believe she needs to get medical attention immediately.

Police say the two women caught the attention of security personnel at Kohl's. Detective Chief Mike Samp of the Mishawaka Police Department reports, "They had some items that they took into Kohl's to try to receive monies for and for whatever reason they were refused. They exchanged and they were asked to leave the store." The cameras followed them to the car and caught the incident on tape.

The assault

The girl, who police believe is just four-years-old, got into the car. Her mother looked around and then for some unknown reason the assault began. According to officials, the little girl received at least five initial blows before the she was hit and shaken several more times. At one point during the assault the woman grabbed the child by her hair. Once in her car seat, she was punched in the face more than a dozen times. The assault lasts just over 25 seconds.

Immediate concern is for child's safety

"Oh my God!" That was the response of Dr. Arnold Del Pilar of the Ironwood Medical Center upon reviewing the surveillance tape. "Punching her?I mean, [this is] blunt head trauma. This child needs to be medically evaluated," he stated. Dr. Del Pilar consulted with police and police agree with his statement. That is why police are asking for the public's help. Deputy Prosecutor of St. Joseph County, Maggie Jones stated, "Our immediate concern, as Chief Samp has stated, is to locate the child and to get the child out of that environment. It made me sick to think that that child is still with that mother and, quite frankly, if that mother is willing to do that in a parking lot, what is she doing at home?"

Family is "less than helpful"

The video camera was able to get a picture of the Texas license plate on the white SUV. Police found the car and talked to family members, but they called the family less than helpful. Chief Samp reported, "We spoke with family members. They have indicated to us that the suspect and the victim have left the state." However, police believe the woman and her daughter may still be in the area and are searching for the little girl to make sure she is okay. Police describe the family as mobile and not cooperative. They are not releasing a name at the time because they do not know if the name they have been given is correct.

The mother's description is as follows:

* Blond hair

* 5' 6" or 7"

* 135 pounds

* 24 or 25 years old

Anyone with any information on their whereabouts is asked to call the Mishawaka Police Department at 258-1684 or you may also contact them via email at Police@Mishawakacity.com.

[spokanite]

I'm all for disciplining children, but what this woman did was way out of line.

I don't know, but I think this is a step in the direction of having big brother watching our every move! Survailance cameras set up in neighborhoods and homes next!

[Poohbah]

It seems pretty odd for an extended family group to travel around together. Sounds to me like there are some pretty dark family secrets there. Criminal past, perhaps? Or something more unseemly (e.g., daddy == grandpa)?

You just put that damn song into my head: "I'm My Own Grandpa."

[TomB]

I don't know, but I think this is a step in the direction of having big brother watching our every move! Survailance cameras set up in neighborhoods and homes next!

This is a stores own private security camera, set up to monitor the parking lot. THey've been around for many years. Not to mention the fact the only reason it was on her in the first place was because of suspicious behavior.

[maxwell]

Yeah I saw a bit of the video on the news last night, and didn't see it in detail enough to tell whether the woman was actually hitting the kid, or hitting at something else in the car. Right after the flailing and whaling, the kid appears to jump up against the back seat-- a kid hit that hard wouldn't be so energetic. I dunno, maybe the pros saw more detail in that video...

[TomB]

Here is a link to the whole incident. There can be no doubt as to what the woman did.

[spokanite]

Safety, protection and security are big words in this country today and I can see a group lobbying in our Nation's Capital with footage of this and other incidents to get laws written for cameras to be set up in all public places and then homes.

Too far fetched here???

[tomakaze]

REHmmm... This wasn't discipline - so what you are saying is that you support the right of adults to severely beat children to the point of needing medical care...
 
How the hell do you read this into what I initially said?
 
re:Well, here's hoping you are sterile...
Back at you, you mouth breathing cranial rectoid.
 
And try this on for size: maybe the stupid broad wasn't the kids mom, but a babysitter or a nanny or something? maybe that would explain the high end rig and the low class behavior? hmmm?
 
send an abuse report. Maybe I'll do one on myself.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I don't do abuse reports, but if you wanna do it yourself, feel free.. but I guess this kind of response is what I shoud expect from someone who thinks the severe beating of a child is no one else's business...

[JustAnAmerican]

I first saw a part of the video on Foxnews.com, and it looked to me as if she was just doing the typical couple of swats on the rear thing. However after viewing CBS's video its obvious this woman went way over the line. Undoubtly she should not have children(assuming she is the mother).

But I am kind of perplexed about something, in the CBS video the camera is clearly following this woman to her car(not a fixed view of the whole parking area), so does this mean this has happened before and they wanted to get it on tape, and if that is the case why in the H*ll didn't they report it sooner. And if it isn't the case I have to wonder why the person operating the camera chose her?

[Charles Martel]

Toyota Sequoia sports utility vehicle

not cheap these babies are at least $45,000.00 plus

I'll bet that big Toyota is the envy of everyon else in the trailer park.

[Sloth]

Police found the car and talked to family members, but they called the family less than helpful.

'Less then helpful'? Don't police carry batons anymore?

[NYer]

What about the woman with her. I didn't see her on the tape trying to stop it.

That's the sister. She has been arrested and refuses to reveal the whereabouts of the child's mother.

[TomB]

The woman tried to exchange something that they speculated might have been stolen. She was acting strangely, so they followed her with the camera.

BTW, at least in the places I've been, there is usually signs in the area stating that there is electronic surveillance.

[southern rock]

No. the solution is for people to mind their own damned business.

Not allowed in the "village" anymore. Just heard on Court TV that the woman's sister is in custody merely for being present and "minding her own buisness".

Minding your own buisness is no longer allowed in America anymore!

[Middle Man]

"The...police recently received a surveillance video..."

I just noticed the date on the video, almost a week old and they still haven't found this scum. I fear the worst for the little girl. With the publicity (and the in-laws' refusal to cooperate) this trailer trash has probably become even more invisible and devious about eluding capture.

Mankind is truly insane.

[TomB]

Not allowed in the "village" anymore. Just heard on Court TV that the woman's sister is in custody merely for being present and "minding her own buisness".

No, she was arrested for witnessing child abuse and not reporting it.

Or was the little girl asking for it?

[agrace]

Thanks for the ping. I saw it last night on CNN and hastened to avoid seeing it again this morning on Fox as they aired it. They say they plan to charge this woman with felony battery. Can't wait til they catch her. My husband was physically sickened by it too and ran from the room. We have a five year old daughter. He said "Did you see how she actually looked around to check if anyone was watching her before she started?"

The thing that got me is that she didn't seem particularly enraged - she didn't really yank the child up into the car, her body language before the beating didn't seem angry, no exaggerated movements, then she just matter-of-factly started wailing on the girl. And stopped and then started again. And witnesses to her inside the store say they didn't see the child doing anything at all that would warrant such a beating (not that ANYTHING would warrant it, but she wasn't bad in the store or anything). What kind of person does it take to do something like this?

[agrace]

I used to work for a dept chain like Kohls. At our stores, there were a couple outside cameras mounted on the wall outside the building close to the roof. They were positioned to cover as much as possible, if not all, of the parking lot and could zoom in as close as necessary. They were used for security purposes, like when we came and went at opening and closing, they could be set to tape (like all the cameras could) and also to cover incidents of shoplifting, because the apprehensions often took place outside the store (if not in the lobby) and having record of how the incident was handled was always a good idea just in case the shoplifter cried foul. So usually an incident was taped from start to finish - if someone was seen taking and concealing an item, security would roll tape and keep it going til apprehension.

Really not that scary, for privacy reasons, if that's what you meant. Outside cameras are monitoring store property and we didn't make a habit of watching people for the fun of it. If this woman was any kind of trouble in the store - and apparently they were suspicious of her because they refused her return, probably thought she stole it in the first place - they probably taped her leaving the store so they could more easily remember her in the future. I expect they were already familiar with her for one reason or another. You wouldn't believe how many of the usual suspects go to the same stores over and over to pull the same stunts.

In fact, I find it extremely fortunate that this monster's car was parked in such a way that it allowed the camera to get a head-on shot of her beating her child.

[twigs]

Thanks. I've had a number of people respond similarly to you and I can certainly see your point. It is private property and to me, that makes a lot of difference. In the township where I live, my daughter and I have been noticing what we think may be cameras in almost all intersections. My husband says maybe they're not, and he's going to investigate with me. The use of cameras is a particular privacy concern of mine. However, I hope that they catch this woman. No child should have to endure what this woman was doing to her.

[agrace]

They were probably taping her because of the problem they had just had with her in the store, not because they had witnessed her abusing her child before. Store security often tapes customers they have problems with in case of future problems, and they might have already been familiar with her for similar reasons. I imagine that getting her on tape beating her child wasn't their intention.