Mom Assaults Kids For Not Wearing Masks After Testing Positive For Coronavirus

Police officers in Wickenburg, Arizona arrested a mother for assaulting her children after they tested positive for COVID-19.

Sarah Michelle Boone, 32, was arrested and charged with child abuse and disorderly contact following the incident in their Wickenburg home.

On Dec. 26, officers responded to Boone’s family home after receiving a report that the mother was assaulting her children, WMAZ reported. The suspect hit one child in the face with an open hand, kicked another to the ground, and picked up another by the neck, court documents show.

The children, ages 5 to 14, reportedly didn't wear face masks despite being diagnosed with COVID-19, which led to the assault, said the witness who reported the incident to the police.

Boone fled the scene before police arrived but was later found walking down the street. The suspect refused to respond to commands from the police and also resisted arrest which forced officers to tase her.

Authorities took Boone to the Maricopa County Jail. She was booked on three counts of child abuse and misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

In September, police had arrested Boone for abusing the same kids. In November, authorities responded to her home after reports of domestic violence involving children.

“This is heartbreaking. Child abuse is inexcusable, but it’s also preventable," Claire Louge, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, told 12 News. “Stress tends to build so the job of prevention is really to help parents cope with that stress, and also to remove as much stress as possible. So, connect them to things that they need that might alleviate stress."

On Tuesday, Boone was released on a $5,000 bond. She was given instructions to not initiate contact with her children. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6.

The United States has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases involving children over the last few weeks. The number has surpassed two million, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Children now represent 12.4% of all cases in the country and 1.8% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations.

“At this time, it appears that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. However, there is an urgent need to collect more data on longer-term impacts of the pandemic on children, including ways the virus may harm the long-term physical health of infected children, as well as its emotional and mental health effects,” the AAP said in a news release.