Man Charged With Putting Hot Sauce In Boy's Mouth, Taping It Shut
SALEM (CBS) -- A man living in a Danvers hotel is accused of putting hot sauce in the mouth of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son and then taping it shut.
Christopher Delcid, 21, pleaded not guilty Wednesday at his arraignment to charges of assault and battery on a child and child abandonment, according to the Salem News.
He was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
The boy's mother, Katherine Rodriguez, is due in Salem District Court Thursday to face charges in the case.
According to a police report, the boy was found alone in an Extended Stay America hotel room in Danvers Tuesday afternoon after police received a call from a concerned relative.
Officers noticed marks and bruises on the child's body and he claimed they were caused by his "daddy" who hit him with a shoe and a belt as punishment.
According to the documents, when police asked him about a scratch on his cheek, he explained he did that himself pulling tape off of his mouth.
When a patrolman asked the child why there was tape on his mouth, the officer said the boy told him, "Daddy put hot sauce in his mouth and then put tape over his mouth."
Salem Court document: "He said, Daddy put hot sauce in his mouth & then put tape over his mouth." #wbz pic.twitter.com/VDPTZW3NBH
— Christina Hager (@HagerWBZ) June 19, 2014
Delcid is not the child's biological father.
The victim's mother, 20-year-old Katherine Rodriquez, is faces charges of permitting assault and battery on a child and abandoning a child. She is being held on $100,000 bail.
The child and his two siblings are now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
If you suspect a child may be abused or neglected, the state Health and Human Service Department has a list of warning signs on its website and how to report children at risk.
The Massachusetts Children's Alliance also has several resources for prevention on their website.
Parents who may feel overwhelmed or who are having trouble with discipline can visit the Massachusetts Citizens for Children site for advice.
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