Lashona Johnson, a 25-year-old mother from Dyersburg in Mid-South, is facing charges of child abuse and neglect. On Saturday, WMC reported that she was being held on a $50,000 bond.
According to WMC, Covington Police started an investigation after a witness at a Cash Saver store on Highway 51 reported potential child abuse. Surveillance video apparently caught the incident with Johnson and her two-year-old.
Upon reviewing security footage and speaking with employees, officers confirmed an incident involving a mother and her two-year-old son occurred on October 1.
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The store manager reported that the child was left unattended at the service desk. After a store-wide announcement, the mother returned approximately ten minutes later and threatened her son, stating, “You know I’m going to beat your a** , right?”
According to police, the two-year-old was aggressively pulled from the desk and dragged to the middle of the checkout line, where the woman repeatedly struck him on the back.
Johnson was identified as the suspect through video evidence and witness statements. She later admitted to police that she was the woman in the video.
Chief Donna Turner said, “I am so thankful that a citizen and the witnesses reported this incident. It is a troubling video to watch. It was absolutely the right call to say something and report the incident. Our analysts quickly developed a suspect in the case, and the detectives swiftly located the suspect. Our efforts provided a way to check on the welfare of the child, provide any services needed in this family through DCS, and to help prevent this from happening again.”
After the investigation, the toddler was released into the custody of his father. The Department of Children Services, which assisted with the inquiry, will continue to monitor the situation.
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