A mother and father have been arrested in Florida after they allegedly forced their daughter to drink homemade hot sauce as punishment for putting “ink on the cat,” despite her being allergic to its ingredients.
Robert Elderidge and Ashley Elderidge have both been accused of abusing their daughter in Cocoa, Florida.
An investigation into the matter was launched on Thursday, March 12, when the girl told a school resource officer about the abuse, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime. The girl was then interviewed by a child protection team coordinator, and she revealed what her parents allegedly did to her.
“They whoop me with a belt … a wooden spoon,” she told cops, per the affidavit.
The girl showed off her injuries, saying she’d suffered bruises and welts on her left thigh after her father hit her with his hand and a belt.
When officers asked why she was disciplined, the girl said she was in trouble for putting “ink on the cat” and that it was “only part of an experiment.” She added that she was struck 15 times with a hand as her punishment, per the affidavit.
She was also punished by being made to drink a homemade hot sauce that her mother created, which was made from “red peppers, onions and oil.” She said she was forced to ingest a spoonful of the hot sauce even though she is allergic to it. Officers noted in the complaint that the girl said this type of incident took place on at least 10 different occasions.
“According to the victim, when she doesn’t want to drink the hot sauce, ‘Ashley’ would hold [the victim’s] nose closed, which prevented her from being able to breathe,” the officers wrote. “The victim stated that the hot sauce made her stomach hurt and causes her to vomit.”
A doctor examined the girl and determined that she suffered from “bizarre” physical abuse. Officers also said the doctor also found that she sustained numerous injuries, including bruises and three “long, parallel welts on her back thigh.”
When officers spoke to Robert, 38, he allegedly said that he “whooped her ass.” He also said that he “intended to strike her buttocks but that he struck her legs instead,” per the affidavit.
Meanwhile, Ashley, 37, allegedly admitted to feeding the girl hot sauce and said she did so because she lied about putting the ink on the cat.
Both Robert and Ashley were arrested and taken to the Brevard County Jail. They are both currently still in custody on a $5,000 bond.
They are both scheduled to appear in court on April 7.
It is not currently clear if Robert or Ashley have entered pleas or retained legal representation. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
