In Missouri, a mother has been apprehended on allegations of physically abusing a juvenile by using a phone charging cord and subjecting the child to starvation as a form of punishment, sometimes leaving the child without food for days.

Breashia Jwantae Grant was arrested on Friday, facing charges of felony first-degree child endangerment and felony third-degree domestic assault, according to court documents.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a “suspicious incident” at a residence on the 5600 block of North Rocky Fork Drive around noon on Friday, as stated in a probable cause affidavit. The department’s communication unit had received multiple calls from neighbors concerned about a child who seemed to be hiding from passing cars.

Upon arrival, first responders found the child, who informed them of running away due to physical abuse. The affidavit, which withheld the child’s name and age, detailed the situation.

“[The victim] stated that before fleeing, Breashia Grant repeatedly struck [them] on the arm with a phone charging cable more than 10 times,” the affidavit reported.

The child said they were wearing a long-sleeved shirt during the beating, then rolled up the sleeve, revealing a left arm that was “covered in fresh red swelling,” per the deputy. The marks were described as “thin” and were either in “a swirling pattern” or were “straight, along with what appeared to be varying levels of injuries that were either scarred or scabbing.” The child’s hand also appeared to be covered in “similar scarring,” all of which appeared to have accumulated over time and multiple instances of abuse.

When asked why there was far more scarring on the victim’s left arm than their right arm, the child demonstrated how they would lift their left arm up “to block Breashia [Grant]” during physical attacks. The most recent injuries came from Grant “striking [the child] with the phone charging cable,” which the victim said was “an ongoing problem.”

“[The victim informed us the day prior Breashia [Grant] hit [them] with the cord, pushed [them] to the ground, kicked [them] in the ribs multiple times and punched [them] the head with a closed fist,” the affidavit says.

In addition to the alleged physical abuse, the victim told police that Grant “had been using food as a form of punishment,” claiming that “two weeks ago, [the victim] was not allowed food for five days, and at the beginning of this week, [they] were not allowed food for two days in a row.”

Grant is currently being held in the Boone County Jail without bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to make her next court appearance.