Posted on 06/09/2012 10:49:03 AM PDT by Colonel Kangaroo
A California water agency director has been arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse after a neighbour shot and posted an online video of him whipping his stepson with a belt while playing catch.
Imperial Irrigation District Director Anthony Sanchez, 34, was arrested Friday on $100,000 bond according to Sheriff's Lt. Scott Sheppeard after caught hitting the child with a belt in one hand and a baseball glove in the other.
In the video uploaded to YouTube, the stepfather's seen repeatedly beating the boy, even knocking him to the ground, before stepping back to wait for him to toss the ball back which he drops.
After a long stall by the boy who stands frozen in place, the man returns to him - a glove on one hand and a belt in the other - hitting him once again.
The boy can be seen physically upset, holding his body, before Lopez opens his window, calling at him to stop.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I totally agree.
1. Why do we always have to read about these things in British papers?
I live in S. California and this was not on the news or in the papers.
2. Kudos to the neighbor, Oscar, for video taping this and reporting it. So many people these days do not want to get involved even when it involves abuse to children or animals — or anyone.
Step-father. Figures.
Is that how you learned to play baseball???
He is beating his kid because he drops the ball while playing catch.
Looks like he’s whipping for not catching the ball.
When we started being able to outrun my dad running after us with a belt in his hand, he started throwing things. Dishes, vases, books, whatever he could get his hand on. He got to be a good shot.
I thank God for my Dad.
thank you for the subtle cutting irony
Looks like he’s whipping for not catching the ball.
There’s a time and place to punish of a child.
Failing at sports isn’t one of them!
There’s a time and place to punish of a child.
Failing at sports isn’t one of them!
I don’t believe in whipping a kid for dropping a ball or any other innocent mistake. But we do not hear the words spoken or know the background behind the incident. If the kid was being mouthy or disrespectful a swat with the belt was called for. The parent knows the whole situation and not the noisy neighbor nor the judge nor the general public.
Failing at sports isn’t one of them!
I agree, but I strongly suspect there's a lot more than failing at sports behind this.
Is he actually the boy’s step-dad, or is he the mother’s boyfriend?
My Daddy would have been under the jail if society had been like this back then.
If anyone feels that this was an appropriate form of discipline, then please think again.
I watched most of the video recently posted on the internet of a lower-court judge or magistrate beating his daughter with a belt and I regret seeing it. She was older than 20 when she posted the video, but the beating occurred when she was 14 or 15. Her mother was there approving of the punishment verbally. It was not in public and it was related to the daughter intentionally violating known rules. However, I was disgusted by it because it was vicious, lengthy and inflicted extreme pain.
I was spanked with a belt when my dad thought it was appropriate. It was always for something I had done that was against the rules, and it was (in my opinion) never to excess in quantity or quality.
As a 49-yr-old man, I can confess that I have spanked my children (who are now grown) in anger and/or to excess. It is with profound regret and shame that I say this.
The problem I have with this parent is not whether or not he spanked his child. It is a combination of the viciousness, quantity, excessive force, and circumstnaces that make me feel that the father was way out of line. By circumstances I mean 3 things: 1. Not related to intentional breaking of known rules -- punishment for vague expectations puts the child in a no-win situation, 2. In public, shaming the child unnecessarily, 3. During play -- physical punishment for how the child performs at a sport is a formula for raising a screwed-up kid.
I would have much more difficulty deciding an appropriate sentence / fine for the parent. However, there is no doubt in my mind that he should have been arrested and charged with a crime.
My dad too. And the irony would be that I might be in prison now had not my dad done what he thought I needed.
“Kudos to the neighbor...”
I totally agree. This so called “dad” is not disciplining for bad behavior. He is hitting a child with a belt for not catching a ball correctly. You are 110% correct about people not wanting to get involved. Good job to the neighbor for filming it and reporting it. I remember reading a lot of freeper comments about the Sandusky incidents... how people could see a rape of a child and just walk away. Although this is not a rape.. it is abuse IMHO. Prayers for this little boy... I hope we don’t end up reading that he “disappeared” and was later found dead.
This was not corporal punishment.
First, yes, there are times when kids need to be disciplined.
Next, what the hell is a whipping going to do to teach a little boy to catch and throw?
This pinhead father ought to have been arrested.
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