ST. CROIX — A St. Croix mother accused of beating her daughter with a PVC pipe and metal curtain rod before forcing the girl to cut off the locs she had been growing for two years has been released on bail following her arrest on child abuse and domestic violence charges. The allegations surfaced Wednesday, October 7, after a security officer at St. Croix Educational Complex noticed visible injuries on the girl, who was complaining of shoulder pain.
Police interviewed the student, who said her mother had beaten her the previous afternoon after confronting her about reports that she had been skipping classes. According to the girl's account, her mother, Wendy Freeman, returned home from work Tuesday and demanded an explanation for her behavior. The girl said she attempted to explain why she had missed classes, but her mother dismissed her reasoning as invalid.
Freeman allegedly retrieved a rigid PVC pipe with holes drilled into it and began striking her daughter across her legs, arms, back and shoulders. The girl told investigators that the pipe broke three times during the beating, but her mother continued the assault, eventually switching to a metal curtain rod.
The violence reportedly ended only after the girl's younger brother intervened, restraining their mother in a bear hug to prevent her from continuing to strike his sister. The girl's older sister also stepped in to stop the confrontation.
According to the police investigation, the punishment did not end with the physical assault. The girl told officers that her mother then forced her to cut off the locs she had spent the previous two years growing.
Investigators also interviewed the girl's siblings, who corroborated her account of the incident. Her younger brother told police that Freeman ordered him out of the house after he intervened to stop the beating. He was subsequently allowed back inside after watching his eldest sister help their injured sibling cut and neaten her hair.
Officers documented several visible injuries on the girl, including small lacerations on her hands, arms and left thigh, along with scratches on her legs. The injuries had prompted the initial report from the school security officer, leading police to investigate the allegations.
Freeman was arrested Wednesday and declined to provide a statement to investigators. She was charged with child abuse and simple assault and battery as a crime of domestic violence.
During her initial court appearance Thursday, October 8, Magistrate Yolan Brow Ross found probable cause to uphold the charges and set bail at $60,000. However, Freeman was permitted to secure her release by posting $500 in cash, with the remaining amount covered by an unsecured bond.
The court appointed a public defender to represent Freeman and scheduled her arraignment for November 4. The allegations against her remain pending before the court.
