Kellie Park, 20, of West Haven, Connecticut is in a jail cell today after videotaping herself abusing her 10-month-old child and sending the videos to the baby's father, her estranged boyfriend. Along with the videos she also sent 55 damning text messages that said things like, "I'll break her f***ing face in."
The shocking events seem almost too surreal to believe that a person could or would be so cruel to their own defenseless baby. In one of an unknown amount of videos Park is seen screaming at her baby to "eat stuff off the floor! This is what your dad wants me to do!"
Park is also seen on video literally throwing food at her 10-month-old child while it sits in its high-chair unaware why, and likely afraid.
The mother is currently charged with third-degree assault, cruelty to persons, risk of injury and threatening. She also has another child, a 2-year-old, that was instantly taken away by child protective services.
Reasons why this behavior happened are unknown, but Park's own words may give some clues. She is seen on video kicking a baby-gate on her defenseless child while bellowing, "Don't you get it? Your father doesn't care so guess what, I'm not gonna care." The reality of this tragic situation is the mother very well may have been abusing the child to get attention from her former boyfriend.
The Dailymail reports on a statement from protective services, Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz said: 'We are actively investigating this matter, and the child is no longer in the mother's care. In addition, we are working with the police in pursuit of this case.'
After securing the children from the abusive situation and taking Ms. Park into custody both children, the 10-month-old and the 2-year-old were released to the care of Park's mother who says her daughter is mentally ill, but has no further comment beyond "I'm not talking to anybody. My job is to take care of my grandchildren and that's it."
Kellie Park faces up to 14 years in prison and is being held on $50,000 bail. She is due back in court July 11.
Article originally published in my now discontinued column on Examiner.com on June 28, 2012.