Angel Pablo Otero Diaz, a 34-year-old resident of Hibiscus Avenue in Bunnell, was jailed Tuesday on a charge of child abuse after facing accusations that he smacked his 12-year-old son and struck him in the head with a plastic broom. The boy ended up with a black eye.
The incident took place on May 16. The boy, who his parents say have been disciplinary issues, told a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy that his mother had taken him to his father’s house around noon after Saturday school (his mother would later say that he’d been taken there to be disciplined), but the boy refused to go in the house. The boy claims his father then struck him in the back of the head and told him again to get in the house. His son again refused. Diaz then allegedly attempted to punch him in the face, but father and son ended up wrestling on the ground until Diaz got on top of the boy–according to the boy’s account–and pin his arms to the ground, then hitting him repeatedly.
A third individual who appears from the arrest report to have been the boy’s mother–the identity of the person is redacted, but the boy’s mother had driven him over to Diaz’s–managed to pull Diaz off the 12 year old. That’s when Diaz, according to his arrest report, “grabbed a plastic broom that was leaning against the house and swung it” at his son, “hitting him in the back of the head.”
Either the boy or his father then grabbed a collapsible infant stroller and raised it as if he was going to strike the other with it, but the third individual stepped in, and told the boy to get back in the car.
The confrontation continued, with the boy allegedly provoking his father from inside the car and Diaz then reaching in through the window, preventing it from going up–even as the boy’s mother was trying to close it–and allegedly striking the left side of the boy’s face. He then walked back into the house.
The mother of the child told police that because of recent disciplinary issues, she’d been soliciting Diaz’s help, and had not called police for fear of, as she put it to police, losing an ally in helping control her son’s behavioral issues. She acknowledged to police, however, that Diaz “did cross the line by punching her son in the face and hitting him with the broom,” Diaz’s arrest report states.
The Department of Children and Families had been at the scene before police arrived at about 5:20 Tuesday afternoon. It was DCF that called police. A DCF investigator told a deputy that she had received two calls about the alleged abuse.
Much of Diaz’s account of the incident is redacted, though he told a deputy that a neighbor had witnessed the incident and could corroborate his version of events. The neighbor told police that he only saw Diaz on top of the boy, restraining him, and that he–the neighbor–left after that and did not see anything.
Diaz posted bail on $2,500 bond and was released.
anonymous says
Sounds like this kid needs strong discipline before he is lost for good. If I ever raised a hand to my parents you best believe I would get a beat down. Not saying he should have been hit in the face, but the child is that disrespectful to his own father? Sounds like problems are in store for this child. No amount of therapy is going to reach him now.
Anonymous says
Gee, one can only wonder how it is that this boy ended up with behavioral issues.
Outsider says
Yep, the parents are divorced and living apart and the father beats the crap out of the kid. Not exactly a recipe for the makings of a Rhodes Scholar.
Double Standard says
Now if Angel let the kid run wild he’d be called another minority, absentee father. Yeah, it got out of control if he did in fact strike his child with a broom just remember anywhere you live in the good old USA no matter if your 8 to 80 don’t follow an order from a cop you will get worse then that. That’s his kid he’s responsible for him. If a kid has behavioral problems because he clashes with his father then who gets the blame when police brutality is handed out to non violent adults like candy. Backwards world, backwards system.
SW says
I received a backhand to the head for looking at my old man the wrong way. RIP PJ
Rowdy Yates says
The kid is out of control because of poor parenting.
You can’t fix the foundation after erecting the building – especially
with a fist or broom handle.
If you can’t nurture your kid – don’t make one.
Beat up your child – go to prison and get beat up too.
David B. says
Obviously, this child never received parenting. These parents should have never had children if they do not know how to be parents. There is more to raising a child then to just having them.
Diana L says
If I saw a fight next door to me, you can bet I would have intervened and called 911. Violence teaches violence and is never the answer. This family needs to be investigated for abusing their child.
B. C. says
The mother of the young man from Baltimore that beat the crap out of him on TV news was praised and giving the mother of the year award. She is a single parent but was honored and was even sent money for her actions. Give this guy a break, this is why the kids today have no resepect the lack of discipline that a parent can’t apply. I went to catholic school in the 50-60tis were they beat the crap out of us we all turned out just fine. Don’t judge till you have a troubled kid that will listen to no one maybe a good kick in the ass is needed in this case
Diana L says
I, for one, was horrified when I saw the Mother beat the crap out of her Son on television. The children today were raised by the children that we parented, so what does that say about OUR parenting skills? Children learn what they are taught. I, too, was beat by a belt as a child. Did that teach me respect of my Father, H##L NO. It taught me that my Father had control and anger issues. Violence teaches VIOLENCE. What we have been teaching our children is not working. Stop hitting and start respecting each others as human beings. It’s shameful that these kinds of actions are being condoned and categorized as discipline of a “troubled” child, it’s the parent that is troubled and it’s a vicious cycle.