A Miami-Dade County mother is facing aggravated child abuseand child neglect charges after police say she repeatedly beat her 8-year-old daughter and forced the child to eat expired food or leftovers taken from the trash.
According to an arrest report, 27-year-old Naseline Timouche was taken into custody on Jun. 6 after officers responded to allegations that the girl had been abused inside their northwest Miami-Dade home.
Investigators said the child described being hit with a frying pan, a belt, and other household objects over an extended period. Police wrote that the girl's body and face were covered in scars and healing wounds when she was examined by authorities, according to People.
The girl told officers that her mother rarely allowed her to eat regular meals because the food in the home was reserved for "guests." Instead, the child said she was forced to eat expired food or scraps taken from the garbage can whenever she was hungry.
The arrest report states that, in some instances, the girl was instructed to retrieve discarded food from the trash and consume it as her primary source of nutrition.
Detectives reported that the 8-year-old appeared malnourished and underweight for her age when she was removed from the residence, US News reported.
She was transported to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment of her injuries, and child welfare officials later took her into protective custody. Authorities said no other children were found living in the home at the time of the investigation.
Timouche has been charged with aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm and child neglect without great bodily harm, both serious felonies under Florida law.
She was booked into a Miami-Dade County jail over the weekend and remained in custody as of the latest reports, pending a court appearance on the charges.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing as detectives work to determine how long the alleged abuse had been occurring and whether any prior reports were made to authorities, as per CBS News.
