Elgin Woman Charged With Urging Daughter To Beat Girl Up
ELGIN, Ill. (CBS) -- An Elgin woman is facing federal charges after she allegedly encouraged her teenage daughter to beat up another girl and then videotaped the assault.
As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, Anita Joost, 46, is charged with aggravated battery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports
Podcast
Police say Joost's 16-year-old daughter was having a disagreement with another girl, 15, and they set up a fight at a local park.
Police say Joost drove her daughter to the park and urged the girl to "kick her ass." Police say she videotaped and took photos as her daughter proceeded to hit the other girl and pull her hair, causing the other girl's mouth to bleed.
When at first the rival girls were only talking to each other, police said, Joost — watching from a nearby car — called another girl standing near her daughter and said, "Tell her that enough's enough. Either kick her ass or let's go home."
Police allege that after that beating, Joost drove her daughter to a nearby house and encouraged her to begin another fight, which was aborted when the owners of that home came outside and ordered the Joosts to leave.
"Parents are supposed to teach their kids how to follow rules, be good citizens. Parents should not teach kids how to commit felonies," Elgin Police Cmdr. Glenn Theriault said.
Police said the events at the park were recorded on cellphone video by the victim's friends, and police pursued charges after seeing the footage.
The 15-year-old girl who was beaten tells CBS 2's Mai Martinez she is shocked that the other girl's mother would be involved.
"I thought it was ridiculous because a mother shouldn't be recording it or be there. She should be stopping it from happening," the girl said Friday.
The victim's mother was too upset to talk about what happened on camera, but she said she's glad Elgin police are taking the matter seriously.
So are other parents who live in the area.
"It's just disturbing that a mom would egg her child on to do this and then record it like you're proud of it," Jenni Betancourt said.
A judge Thursday ordered Joost held in lieu of $50,000 bond.
Police said Joost's daughter also has been charged with aggravated battery and has been taken to the Kane County Youth Home pending juvenile court action.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
