GIFFORD — A Gifford woman has been released from the county jail on bond after authorities say that she beat a child with an extension cord.
Lehoter Pleshette St. Aime, 35, of 40th Avenue, in Gifford, is accused of striking the boy repeatedly with an extension cord and later chased down and ran off the road a family member who was trying to drive the boy to the Sebastian River Medical Center to be treated, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office’s arrest report.
The boy told the family member that St. Aime was upset with him for taking a different bus home from school and that she started to hit him on his arms and legs with an extension cord after pushing him into his room.
The boy told investigators that he tried to hide in his closet after the beating but that St. Aime pulled him out of the closet and struck him again with the cord. After the second incident, St. Aime left the boy’s room and the child locked his bedroom door and escaped through his second-floor bedroom window, he told authorities.
The boy made his way to a family member’s home and reported the incident. The family member then tried to take the child to Sebastian River Medical Center but St. Aime followed behind them, the family member told investigators.
Both vehicles were eastbound on 45th Street approaching Old Dixie Highway when St. Aime rammed her black Nissan Altima into the Grand Marquis the boy and family member were in.
The family member told authorities that it was St. Aime’s intent to keep the boy from getting to the hospital where the family member planned to tell hospital staff about the incident.
A Sheriff’s deputy saw the Altima chasing the Grand Marquis and was able to stop the Grand Marquis, where he learned about the alleged child abuse.
Indian River County EMS was sent to the scene and looked over the boy, finding several semi-circular abrasion marks that had broken the skin and caused scabs to start forming, the report states.
Paramedics said that the child did not need to go to the hospital.
The child was turned over to another family member pending the outcome of the investigation.
St. Aime faces charges of child abuse and aggravated assault, her arrest report states.
