A New Jersey mother was arrested after she forced her child to wear a dog shock collar, leaving marks on the neck, according to prosecutors.
Kimberly Cruz-Feliciano, 30, was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of witness tampering with threat of force and one count of hindering, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.
The abuse was uncovered on March 17 when the child arrived at Cape May City Elementary School with visible marks on the body, which were later determined to be caused by a dog shock collar. The prosecutor’s office’s Special Victims Unit and the Cape May City Police Department launched a joint investigation, and Cruz-Feliciano was arrested the following day.
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Investigators learned that Cruz-Feliciano also threatened the child with more violence if the abuse was reported, according to the news release.
Shock collars can deliver electrical charges as high as 100 volts.
The victim told officers that the collar was kept in a bedroom with items belonging to the family’s dead dog and that the collar was charged regularly after the animal’s death, according to court documents, WPVI reported.
Cruz-Feliciano allegedly admitted to the abuse and told police she had her mother, 59-year-old Sonia Feliciano, dispose of the collar, according to the outlet.
The victim’s maternal grandmother is facing charges of hindering and tampering with evidence but was released on a summons pending court proceedings, according to the news release.
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“This case highlights the ongoing dedication of our law enforcement agencies to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffery H. Sutherland said in a statement. “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.”
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