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Background: A section of the 7100 block of Wood Carriage Lane in Leeds, Alabama (Google Maps). Inset: Christie Williams (Jefferson County Jail).
A distressing incident unfolded in Alabama when a young girl ran down the street pleading for assistance, leading police to discover that her mother had attacked her and her sibling with bear spray, according to law enforcement officials.
Christie Williams, aged 36, faces charges of torture or the intentional mistreatment of a child, as indicated by records from Jefferson County Jail examined by Law&Crime. Williams was taken into custody and booked on Monday.
The event occurred on March 8, around 1:45 p.m., when a child was seen sprinting along the 7100 block of Wood Carriage Lane in Leeds, Alabama, desperately seeking help. According to charging documents cited by AL.com, a bystander dialed 911 after noticing that the girl’s eyes were red and her face appeared swollen.
Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin stated, “She was crying for help.” Officers responded promptly, arriving at the child’s residence, and subsequently escorted her and her sibling, both in elementary school, to a nearby hospital for a thorough medical evaluation.
The children reportedly disclosed to the authorities that their mother had sprayed them with bear spray, targeting their eyes and mouth.
“I think it’s terrible,” Irwin told the local outlet. “I don’t think you should be punishing your children with a spray that can be used on a bear. That’s not to be used on humans.”
Bear spray is typically considered stronger than traditional pepper spray, and, if used at very close range, can cause permanent eye damage.
Williams was arrested on Monday. She allegedly stated that her children were being unruly.
She was released on $15,000 bond hours after being booked in the jail. The children were reportedly placed in the custody of child welfare workers.