Inset: Nataly Francelia Cruz (Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center). Background: The Florida City Police Department headquarters (Google Maps).
A Florida woman has been taken into custody following allegations of child abuse involving her younger brother, according to local law enforcement. The incident came to light when the young boy sought assistance from a neighbor, pleading for help.
The accused, 26-year-old Nataly Francelia Cruz, is facing a charge of child abuse without causing great bodily harm, as recorded in Miami-Dade County court documents.
The alleged abuse took place in a home situated on Southwest Ninth Street in Florida City, a small suburb approximately 50 miles southwest of Miami. According to the arrest affidavit, Cruz reportedly forced her brother to kneel on rice for several hours as a form of punishment for misbehavior. This document was obtained by both Miami-based Fox and ABC affiliate WSVN and the local independent TV station WPLG.
The situation unfolded on a Wednesday afternoon when the victim reached out to a neighbor for help. He arrived at the neighbor’s residence around 4:45 p.m., expressing that he “couldn’t take it anymore” after being subjected to the harsh punishment since 11 a.m. In response, the concerned neighbor contacted the authorities, prompting police intervention.
Officers responded to the residence after a neighbor called police to report that the boy came to his residence around 4:45 p.m. that afternoon and said he “couldn”t take it anymore” after being subjected to the rice punishment since 11 a.m.
The boy also said “this is not the first time he has been punished this way when he misbehaves,” according to the charging document.
When police arrived, the boy pointed the finger at his sister for the punishment — and explained that she is his legal guardian since their mother was deported, according to the affidavit.
“I observed minor injuries on his knees consistent with kneeling for a long time on a surface with rice,” a police officer wrote in the charging document. “He also reported that while kneeling, he attempted to use the restroom inside the house but his sister refused to let him inside the house.”
The defendant, for her part, also gave a statement to police — but her words were reportedly redacted from the document.
Cruz was arrested and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond.
The defendant made an initial appearance on Thursday morning before 11th Judicial Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer. The court found probable cause for the charge and ordered Cruz to stay away from her brother.
Cruz is also subject to an immigration hold, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.