A mom and grandmother both face charges after a child reported being forced to wear an electric dog collar, according to a report.
The police investigation started on March 17 after the child showed up at their elementary school in Cape May, New Jersey, with marks on their body, according to prosecutors. The marks were from the collar, authorities noted.
Investigators said the child, whose age is not known, was forced to wear the dog collar at all times while home, according to ABC 6. The collar was reportedly used when the child made their mother, Kimberly Cruz-Feliciano, 30, upset.
The victim told police that the collar was kept in a bedroom with other items belonging to the family’s dead dog, according to the report.
Cruz-Feliciano had threatened the victim with more violence if he told others about the collar, according to NBC Philadelphia.
The suspect admitted to the abuse and said she had her mother dispose of the dog collar, according to ABC 6.
Cruz-Feliciano was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated assault and witness tampering. Sonia Feliciano, 59, was charged with hindering and tampering with evidence in connection to the case.
“We take all allegations of child abuse with the utmost seriousness, and we will continue to ensure that those responsible for such heinous acts are held fully accountable under the law,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said in a statement.
