Miami Mom Accused of Beating Son With Spiked, Metal Meat Tenderizer For Not Doing Homework
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami mother is charged with aggravated child abuse for hitting her 9-year-old son with a spiked, metal meat tenderizer when she got angry because he didn't do some homework, according to police.
Martha Ciguenas, 44, appeared in bond court Tuesday.
According to the police report, Ciguenas' son told her on April 4 that "he had additional homework, while he was out of school during Spring Break." She became "irate" and threw a water bottle at him twice, and her cellphone, but missed.
"The defendant then grabbed a glass candle holder and struck him on his head twice," the report states. "Then she went to the kitchen and grabbed a metal meat tenderizer and "struck him once in the head, causing lacerations."
Police say she continued to yell and screamed at him to clean his room and as he walked towards his room, she "struck him a second time with the meat tenderizer on his left arm below his bicep causing spike marks/indentations (from the meat tenderizer) which bled."
The boy was examined by the Child Protection Team (CPT), which concluded the injuries were consistent with child physical abuse, according to the police report.
"When the defendant was shown the pictures of the victim's injuries, the defendant admitted that she caused the injuries when she threw the meat tenderizer, and other objects, but denied striking him intentionally."
Bond was set Tuesday at $5,000 with a stay away order meaning she must stay at least 500 feet away from where he lives and goes to school.
The case is now moving to dependency court to determine custody, visitation and contact rights because Ciguenas is a widow.