A Florida woman has been accused of helping her children attack a 10-year-old boy as she physically restrained the child for allegedly calling her a “fat ass” at a neighborhood park.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release that Ketsy Ann Rivera was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, child abuse without great bodily harm and false imprisonment.
Deputies responded to the Heritage Park Apartment Complex on Monday, March 16, after they received a report regarding a disturbance involving multiple juveniles at a community park. Witnesses and the child who was attacked told authorities that a fight broke out among a group of children while they were all playing together.
The situation escalated when some of the children left the area and returned with their mothers, and the adults quickly got involved in the confrontation with the minors.
Authorities claimed that Rivera, 41, “pushed her children (8 and 9 years old) towards the 10-year-old victim and instructed them to strike the child,” per the news release. “Ketsy Rivera then grabbed the victim by his shirt, preventing him from leaving or defending himself.”
More details about the incident were revealed in court documents viewed by WFTV.
Authorities said that shortly after the three children got into an initial altercation, the two younger kids brought Rivera to the playground. The 10-year-old reportedly called Rivera a “fat ass” during the incident, which is when she allegedly got involved.
“She was actually holding him back where he could not even defend himself from the other two boys coming at him or get away from the situation. It was three against one,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Captain Kim Montes told the station. “It’s her job as a mom to come in and try and deescalate this, not ramp it up. And that’s exactly what she did here. She took it to the next level.”
Deputies said that the 10-year-old child was visibly injured following the attack, with responding officers saying there was “significant swelling of his left eye.” First responders with the fire department also evaluated the child and determined that the child was ultimately cleared of any serious medical concerns despite his injuries.
Once the child’s mother arrived at the scene, she requested that charges be pursued against Rivera.
Authorities have not shared if any of the other individuals involved in the initial altercation are facing charges.
Following the incident, Rivera was taken into custody and booked into the Osceola County Jail. She has since been released after she posted a bond of $12,000.
It is not currently clear if she has retained an attorney or entered a plea. Additionally, authorities have not shared a date for her first court appearance.
