A South Florida man was arrested Thursday for allegedly abusing his 4-year-old autistic and nonverbal son, records show.
Read more Tony Romo booked on suspicion of impaired driving in Milwaukee
According to an arrest report, 31-year-old David Martinez, of Homestead, faces a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.
On Thursday, Martinez was in his bedroom when his child entered the room screaming, the report said. The victim’s mother told detectives that since the child is nonverbal, he screams when he wants something.
Martinez proceeded to ask his son what was wrong, and then a noise that appeared to sound like Martinez was hitting the child could be heard from the bedroom, the report said.
Shortly after, Martinez allegedly dragged his son out of the room while spanking him with his hand. The report said the child was on the sofa crying when Martinez approached him with a belt.
Martinez allegedly proceeded to strike the child with either his belt or hand, and eventually the 4-year-old ended up crying on the floor.
Read more Trump expands a voluntary pledge to protect consumers from high utility bills from AI data centers
According to the report, Martinez then took his son back to the bedroom, pushed him onto the bed and began hitting him with a belt.
The assault lasted a total of 25 minutes, the report said.
The son suffered superficial wounds and red marks on his upper thighs, the report said. The incident was caught on a camera that was installed previously for the “safety of the victim,” investigators wrote in the report.
“I need him away from my son,” the mother said in Martinez’s bond court hearing on Friday.
Martinez remains in jail on a $2,500 bond as of Friday afternoon, online records showed. A judge also ordered him to stay away from his son and not contact him.
Read more House again passes a resolution seeking to halt military action in Iran as the conflict escalates