A woman has been charged with child abuse after beating her 13-year-old son with an extension cord.
Franchesca R. Agnew, 28, of Racine, was charged by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office with physical abuse of a child – intentionally causing bodily harm. If convicted of the felony, Agnew faces up to six years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.
According to a criminal complaint by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office, officers with the Racine Police Department were called to a residence for a report of an assault that happened on English Street. A 13-year-old boy reported that his mother whipped him with an extension cord for opening a can of soda. During the altercation, he was able to get away from his mother and he ran to his grandmother’s house.
Agnew went to the boy’s grandmother’s house and got him by “forcing him to leave,” the report states.
After returning back to the house, Agnew began to strike the boy while they were in the car. She then pushed him out of the car and followed him into the house. The boy told police she grabbed the boy by the neck, pulled his hair and “kneed him in the ribs.”
Police noted the boy had bruise marks and welts on his thighs and scratches on his chest.
Agnew admitted to whipping the boy with a belt for “being disrespectful,” but denied hitting him when she picked him up.
According to court records, Racine County Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch set a signature bond for $5,000 for Agnew. She is expected to be back in court for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 16.
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