Free Republic

The mother of a severely malnourished 4-year-old found dead last week in Brooklyn would beat her tyke with a belt and force-feed the child sleeping pills, authorities said yesterday. Carlotta Brett-Pierce was especially furious with her daughter, Marchella, because the girl, who weighed a mere 18 pounds when she died, would get up at night and "eat from the fridge and make a mess," said prosecutor Tracey Downing at a Brooklyn Criminal Court hearing.

Four-Year-Old Found Wandering on Major Highway in Outside Washington, D.C. The Associated Press Published: Jul 27, 2005 FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) - A mother was under arrest Wednesday on child endangerment and other charges after authorities said she abandoned her 4-year-old son on the Capital Beltway, then struck him with her car when he tried to get back in. The boy was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises, police said. He later was placed in the custody of a child protective services agency. Police picked him up after receiving a call late Tuesday night from motorist who said...