Women Sought in Videotaped Beating

Yahoo ^

[Texaggie79]

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (AP) - A woman who was angry after leaving a department store was caught on a surveillance tape looking around as she helped her young daughter into a vehicle and then brutally beating the child for about half a minute, authorities said.

Police were searching for the woman and 4-year-old child Friday. The woman's sister, who had been with her in the store, was arrested, said community prosecutor Maggie Jones.

"As far as we know, she tried to exchange some merchandise, was denied that, became angry in the store at the service clerk and left. But I don't know how that could provoke an attack like this on a child," Mishawaka Police Chief Anthony Hazen said Friday on NBC's "Today" show.

The woman could be seen on the tape punching the child and shaking her, and authorities believe the little girl might have serious injuries. A doctor who saw the tape said she could have suffered head, neck and brain injuries, said Mike Samp, a police investigator.

Authorities identified the 25-year-old woman as Madelyne Gorman or Madelyne Toogood and the child as her daughter Martha Toogood.

Hazen said the woman is believed to be from the Dallas area and has a history of misdemeanor charges. He did not elaborate.

"We've spoke with several members of the family; they are not being cooperative right now. They said they disagree with the actions but they don't know where she's at," he said.

Hazen said the sister faces charges of failing to report child abuse, and the child's mother could face felony battery charges in the Sept. 13 beating.

"You can see the woman grab one of the girl's pony tails and forcefully shake her. That right there, not even counting all the blows that we saw the woman make, that right there constitutes battery," Jones told CNN.

The videotape shows the woman and girl walking to a sport utility vehicle along with a boy and the woman's sister.

The two women had tried to return merchandise at a Kohl's department store in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend near the Michigan border, but were refused, police said.

The tape shows the woman placing the girl in the vehicle's back seat and then striking her about the head. The woman also appears to shake, slap and punch the child before getting in the front seat and driving off.

The vehicle shown in the video had Texas license plates, and police eventually found it at a Mishawaka apartment complex. Police said it was not registered to either of the women shown on the tape.

[cubreporter]

I think that child was probably kicking her leg because she was crying and maybe trying to catch her breath. The tape shows this mother continually punching the child in what looked to me like the head area. Punching back and forth, back and forth like you do on a punching bag!!!! That kicking leg could mean the child was in pain that was her way of trying to deal with it. We all shake a finger or arm or something when we get hurt or hit it. This woman was punching one right after the other on this child!!!

[GirlNextDoor]

If store security was following these women out via their surveillance cameras (in order to watch if they caused any damage), as FOX reported, why on earth didn't they go out and STOP her??!!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

you've seen to many parents lifes (sic) ruined or threatened?

Well, I've seen too many children who had their lives ruined by abusive parents.

[Conservative4Ever]

Like you I only saw the first few seconds prior to the child being put in to the car seat. Then the mother strikes her again 3 separate times. The entire time I would est. at about 20-30 seconds of beating. The last round looks to me like the mother has a hold of the child's hair and is shaking the child's head back and forth. The first part that was shown on FNC was bad enough..then they showed the entire video..I almost started to weep. The beating is about the head and shoulders..not cool with little kids. It is brutal to watch.

Red

[Texaggie79]

Let's take your kids away for good measure then. Better safe than sorry?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A million Eunice Stones playing spy, reporting every imagined "suspicious" activity or conversation or joke to the State, is fertilizer for the police state.

I don't really think that is what happened here.

So I take it that you don't believe, despite the fact that 99% of all suicide terrorists are Islamists, that Islamists deserve any special scrutiny if they make public references to "America mourning on September 13th?"

[mewzilla]

The cops have arraigned sister dearest for not reporting the abuse. There is another witness, you know...

[wardaddy]

I couldn't tell as much from the video as many here claim other than the the mother was obviously furious.

[spokanite]

I have to agree with you. What happens when your neighbor calls police because he hears screaming and crying kids from your house...must be abuse going on there!

Then you find yourself in a heap of trouble, defending yourself, all because someone called police on what was thought to be abuse. Come to find out after all is said and done, not to mention your image in the neighborhood, little Johnny and little Jill were fighting over who gets to see what program on TV, so the parent turns it off for no one to see!

That's what it's coming to folks...

[TamiPie]

Here's another story out of Long Beach, CA:


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/091902_nw_child_injured.html


Young Boy Severely Beaten
LONG BEACH — A four-year-old boy is in extremely critical condition. Police say he was severely beaten and he may not survive.
He was rushed to the hospital early Friday morning and taken into surgery.

The boy was visiting his mother in Long Beach. He is possible victim of child abuse, police said.

Paramedics sent to the 400 block of South Street shortly after midnight found the boy unconscious and suffering from "head trauma," and took him to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, said Long Beach police Officer Jana Blair.

A 5-month-old child who was at the South Street location was taken into protective custody, Blair said. That child apparently was unharmed, Blair said.

The boy, a Japanese citizen, had been living with relatives in Japan, but had come to this country to visit his mother, Blair said.

Police interviewed his family members this morning but made no immediate arrests, and the investigation was continuing.

[lsee]

Does anyone else see a problem with using this video as evidence?

Indeed, interpretation.

However, her actions in the store immediately prior to the disputed beating and her behavior afterward are also factors. Her family background, her criminal record, and her evasive reaction to these allegations are also factors. I sincerely HOPE those of us who saw "abuse" in the video were wrong...how much nicer that would be for the little girl.

[cubreporter]

That's how I saw it as her punches/slaps, whatever were to the childs face or head.

[Diverdogz]

The beating took about 10 seconds. The woman then got in the car and drove off. There is no way for the store to have stopped them - the BEST thing they did was to get the video, which can now be used as evidence when the lady is caught.

[Hoboken]

A quick google search gave me this,

Police Officers who investigate home repair scams typically encounter "American Gypsies" also called "Travelers", and "Rom Gypsies". Travelers are made up of three groups of Travelers, English, Scotch, and Irish. The English Travelers, especially the Boswells, Coopers, and Stanleys, , actually call themselves Gypsies. Other English Travelers go by the names of Small, Oaks, Harrison, and Herrin. Irish Travelers use Sherlock, Gorman, and Donahue, while Scotch use Williamson, Galvin, Haliday, Keith, Parks, and Holden. Although little is known about the Traveler's history, they all speak in a "cant", a secret language among each other. They have been labeled Gypsies or Travelers primarily because they travel as families and groups and because of their nomadic ways.

[GirlNextDoor]

The beating took about 10 seconds

That was MORE than ten seconds!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

No. However, a grown up can communicate etc. A kid just has to take it. The girl needs to be found. If she is bruised she needs to be taken away and the mother needs to be slapped around for a while and then thrown in jail until the girl is 18. Anything wrong with this course of action?

[sonserae]

What? The kids legs were kicking not out of being "jolly" but because of trauma. It's CLEAR to me, the child was not happy.

[Rokke]

Please watch the first few seconds of the video again, after the mother first looks over her shoulder, and then explain what you think the mother is hitting...hard...with her fist.

[glory]

That's what it looked like to me too--the first part her hand looked open like it was a spanking, albeit a very vigorous one that goes beyond your average discipline spanking. The second part though looks like punches--the type people give straight on just to add injury when someone is down and the mom didn't look like she was holding anything back(ie I've seen girls in gangs punch each other with that much force in fights--shudder). That poor child had to be in a lot of pain. I have 4 yr old daughter myself and I hope they find this child soon. She looks just prescious. I hope there is a home out there when this child is found that can give her some hope for the future.

[Diverdogz]

I didn't time it. But is wasn't enough time for store security to rush out and confront the woman.