A Florida woman is facing a felony child abuse charge after she filmed herself abusing her 2-month-old daughter and sent the video to the baby's father along with a text that said she's "stuck with this thing until she dies," local police said.
Reyanna Icilma Thomas, 22, of North Miami, Florida, was arrested on January 6 after the baby's father flagged down an officer with the North Miami Police Department (NMPD) around 6:20 p.m., according to an arrest report obtained by local station WPLG.
The father showed the police officer a video of his ex-girlfriend, Thomas, beating the baby while "yelling and cursing" at the 2-month-old, the arrest report alleges.
Thomas was taken into custody later that night and is facing one count of felony child abuse, Miami-Dade jail records show.
Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday to the NMPD for comment and an update on the case. Court records did not list an attorney for Thomas who could speak on her behalf.
In the clip the father showed to police, Thomas was allegedly seen striking and "forcefully pushing" the baby as she screamed expletives at her daughter, referring to the infant as a "dumb a** b****," police said in the report, noting that the little girl appeared "frightened and afraid."
Thomas also threatened to punch their daughter "dead in the face," WPLG reported, citing arrest records.
NMPD said in the arrest report that Thomas then texted the baby's father a photo of their daughter lying on a bed with a blanket covering her nose and mouth, "which appeared to restrict breathing." The image was followed up with a text message, according to the arrest report.
"I'm stuck with this thing until she dies," Thomas allegedly texted to the father. "It makes me so sick that she doesn't have a different father and I can't love her because she has a part of you. I'm gonna enjoy my 20s. Left ur sperm in the house with a cat."
Police went to Thomas' apartment in the 12000 block of Northeast Fifth Avenue, but she refused to answer the door. Believing the infant was in imminent danger, officers got a handyman to open the apartment door,
Police went to Thomas' apartment where a handyman let them into the unit after she refused to answer the door, WPLG reported. The mother was taken into custody that night and jail records show she was booked just before 11 p.m.
While officers at the scene said the baby appeared to be physically unharmed at the time, it was unclear whether the baby suffered any injuries or needed any medical treatment.
NMPD said Thomas made a confession, which was redacted from the arrest report.
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