An Ohio woman is behind bars and her son, the centerpiece of a weekend AMBER Alert is safe, although police say he was found with significant injuries.
According to ABC 4, Ross Township police in Pennsylvania arrested Tiarika Baymon, 32, of Brunswick, Ohio, Sunday night, in connection with an AMBER Alert involving her 7-year-old child.
Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp with Ross Township police said the victim had been tortured, and that his mother posted the abuse on Instagram.
“An Instagram video that she had uploaded, which actually showed the child, bound and being tortured by her,” Kohlhepp said.
Police found the defendant after tracking her vehicle to a remote, wooded area on William Street in Ross Township. They found her asleep inside her 2014 Ford Escape with a gun on her lap.
“They had to reach in and unfortunately remove her from the car. She didn’t suffer any injuries as a part of that. And the gun actually fell out onto the ground during that exchange,” Kohlhepp said.
Her son was found in the back, on folded-down seats that led into the vehicle’s trunk. Police said they found the child in distress and dehydrated.
First responders took him to the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with numerous traumatic injuries, and possible broken bones.
Police said the victim was later taken to the UPMC Mercy burn unit.
When interviewed, the boy said his mother had hit him in the face with a glass bottle. She also allegedly restrained him with exercise straps and belts.
Baymon’s charges in Pennsylvania include felony child endangerment, resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, and carrying a firearm without a license.
She’s also facing charges in Ohio. Brunswick police Lt. Christopher Spencer FOX 8 on Monday that she’s been charged with child endangering and that more charges could follow, “as the investigation progresses.”
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: WTAE SS/YouTube]
