Inset: Breashia J. Grant (Boone County Jail). Background: The area in Missouri where Grant allegedly beat and starved a child (Google Maps).
A mother in Missouri has been arrested for allegedly beating a juvenile child with a phone charging cord and starving her as punishment, sometimes forcing the child to go multiple days without food.
Breashia Jwantae Grant was taken into custody on Friday and charged with one count of felony first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of felony third-degree domestic assault, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, deputies with the Boone County Sheriff's Department responded to a "suspicious incident" at a home in the 5600 block of North Rocky Fork Drive at about noon on Friday. The department's communications unit advised that multiple neighbors had called about a child who "appeared to be hiding when cars passed."
Upon arriving at the address, first responders located the child, who told them they were "running away from home" because they were being "physically abused." The child's name and age were redacted from the document.
"[The victim] advised that prior to running away, Breashia Grant struck [them] on the arm with a phone charging cable more than 10 times," the affidavit states.
The child said they were wearing a long-sleeved shirt during the beating, then rolled up the sleeve, revealing a left arm that was "covered in fresh red swelling," per the deputy. The marks were described as "thin" and were either in "a swirling pattern" or were "straight, along with what appeared to be varying levels of injuries that were either scarred or scabbing." The child's hand also appeared to be covered in "similar scarring," all of which appeared to have accumulated over time and multiple instances of abuse.
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When asked why there was far more scarring on the victim's left arm than their right arm, the child demonstrated how they would lift their left arm up "to block Breashia [Grant]" during physical attacks. The most recent injuries came from Grant "striking [the child] with the phone charging cable," which the victim said was "an ongoing problem."
"[The victim informed us the day prior Breashia [Grant] hit [them] with the cord, pushed [them] to the ground, kicked [them] in the ribs multiple times and punched [them] the head with a closed fist," the affidavit says.
In addition to the alleged physical abuse, the victim told police that Grant "had been using food as a form of punishment," claiming that "two weeks ago, [the victim] was not allowed food for five days, and at the beginning of this week, [they] were not allowed food for two days in a row."
Grant is currently being held in the Boone County Jail without bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to make her next court appearance.