Miami

Mother Accused of Abusing Child for Months at Miami Shelter

A woman is being accused of abusing her child for months while they stayed in a homeless shelter in Miami.

Eugenia Byrd, 27, who appeared in bond court Friday, is facing charges of aggravated child abuse and domestic violence, according to jail records.

The victim, Byrd's 10-year-old son, endured "physical abuse over the course of months that resulted in visible scars on the victim’s body," according to a prosecutor.

The abuse allegedly happened from June 2017 until March 2018, when Byrd and her two children were living at the Chapman Shelter in Miami, according to an arrest report.

According to the report, Byrd would hit the victim with multiple items such as a clothes hanger, extension cord and a phone charger. On one occasion, Byrd allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck and choked him with both of her hands, prosecutors said.

On another occasion, Byrd asked the victim the bring water to bathe his baby sister. When the water was either too hot or too cold, Byrd allegedly beat him with a chord, the arrest report stated.

In a statement to Telemundo 51, a spokeswoman for Chapman Partnership stressed that safety is the organization's top priority.

"We take great strides to ensure that all our residents, especially our most vulnerable, are safe and cared for throughout the length of their stay in our centers," the statement read in part.

Byrd was ordered to stay away from the victim and was put on house arrest. She was booked into jail and on a $12,500 bond, including a $10,000 bond if she violates the conditions of her house arrest, a judge ordered in bond court.

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