A Sunrise mother was arrested after authorities said she abused her 6-year-old son, leaving him marked and bruised.
Pamela Gladys Gaensel, 47, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm, Broward jail records showed.
Gaensel appeared in court Thursday, where a prosecutor discussed the allegations against her.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
According to the prosecutor, Gaensel pulled her 6-year-old from a car by his hair, threw him to the sidewalk, then threw a booster seat at him, hitting him in his leg.
She put him back in the car but grabbed him again and threw him to the ground a second time, the prosecutor said.
The boy was crying and pleading with her to stop, and when police arrived, they found him with marks and bruises on his face and body, the prosecutor said.
Local
The prosecutor said Gaensel claimed it was an act of discipline and that she'd only spanked the child, but noted that cameras recorded the incident.
The alleged incident happened Tuesday on Sunset Strip in Sunrise, an arrest report said.
Gaensel was arrested when she went to pick her children up at their elementary school, the report said.
Gaensel was granted a $5,000 bond during Thursday's hearing. She bonded out that night and walked out of jail with a blanket over her head, avoiding reporters' questions.
