Insets, left to right: Mary T. Williams and Terry Williams (Broward County Sheriff's Office). Background: The parking lot in Florida where the couple allegedly attacked a mom (WPLG).
A married couple in Florida is accused of physically attacking a mother in front of her young son after the alleged victim refused to heed their parenting advice, with police saying they beat her in a parking lot before ripping off her shirt and leaving her in "just a bra."
Mary Williams is charged with one count each of battery resulting in bodily harm and burglary of a conveyance, court records show. Her husband, Terry Williams, is facing one count of battery.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the incident began as a lecture on parenting but quickly escalated into a violent confrontation that left the mother beaten and partially exposed in public.
Officers with the Davie Police Department responded to a call reporting an ongoing battery in the 5400 block of South University Drive at 5:37 p.m. on Wednesday. Upon arriving, the victim told police she had been attacked by a man and woman who had taken issue with how she disciplined her young son.
The victim said her son was misbehaving and had "spit in her face." To correct the behavior, the mother said she "smacked her son once in the mouth and once on the side of his torso."
Terry Williams allegedly approached the woman immediately after the discipline, identifying himself as an employee of the state Department of Children and Families (DCF). He allegedly scolded the mother, telling her she "could not yell or smack her child." The mother told him to leave them alone, and Terry Williams initially walked away.
The situation turned physical moments later when Mary Williams approached the woman "aggressively" to discuss her parenting.
"Mary tried talking to her about disciplining her child," the affidavit states. "[The alleged victim] told Mary to leave, but she refused. [The mother] attempted to place her son in the back of her Honda Civic … but Mary stepped in between them and the vehicle, thus preventing [the mother] from leaving."
The mother attempted to move Mary Williams out of the way "by sliding her" to reach her car, which sparked a frantic physical struggle. During the encounter, Mary Williams allegedly "started scratching and choking" the mother. The alleged victim told investigators she was "struggling to breathe and believed she was going to pass out."
The affidavit states the choking continued for several seconds before Mary Williams released the woman's throat and "grabbed onto [the alleged victim's] shirt." At that point, Terry Williams allegedly returned to the fray and "grabbed [the alleged victim] by her shirt and hair."
The combined force of the couple resulted in the victim's clothing being destroyed. Terry and Mary Williams allegedly "tore [the victim's] shirt, ultimately ripping it completely off," the report states.
Even after the woman was able to step away, the confrontation did not end. Mary Williams allegedly "opened [the alleged victim's] driver door, entered her vehicle, turned it off, removed the keys and stole them."
Responding officers noted that the victim had "numerous scratch marks on her throat consistent with injuries sustained from being choked by Mary and her long nails." The alleged victim also suffered a laceration to her lower lip.
A witness who observed the struggle told police she saw both Terry and Mary Williams "pulling [the mother] by her shirt and hair" while the woman was not fighting back. The witness told investigators it appeared the mother "was just trying to escape their grasp but they kept pulling her and ripped her shirt off, leaving her standing in public with just a bra."
Though Terry Williams had initially claimed to be an agent for the state, investigators later "confirmed that Mary did not work for DCF," per the affidavit. The document does not clarify if Terry Williams had any affiliation with the agency but noted his claims were used to initiate the confrontation.
The husband and wife were both out of jail on bond as of Friday afternoon. It was not immediately clear when they were scheduled to appear in court.
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