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It's an act of child abuse caught on surveillance camera that shocked the nation. Devain Flores Sr was seen on camera pushing, slapping and striking a defenseless three year old child.
It happened in two different sessions and all the boy could do is look up to Flores for mercy or validation.
It's a video that would make any of us want to cry - but for all that cruelty, Flores - who is a relative of the child - was only charged for common assault. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty and got out on bail - even though he had a pending charge for wounding a woman.
Well, the Commissioner wasn't having it - and he directed police to dig deeper and upgrade the charge to child cruelty.
They did and the Commissioner himself went to court today to prosecute the case. Mind you he hasn't appeared for an arraignment since the Danny Mason case started way back in 2016.
8 years later he was back before a magistrate - in this case Baja Shoman presenting the case for child cruelty.
After police had some back and forth with the mother who initially didn't want to press charges - the case proceeded and the accused pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty.
The commissioner told the court he wants a custodial sentence, not a fine. Outside the court, he told us more:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It's a very important matter I must say. It involves a 3-year-old who was beaten, abused, obviously by a 33 year old and I think when we have situations as such, the police department as well as any other organization that has to do with upholding the rights of children, we must do our best in making sure that those who are responsible are brought to justice."
"After having viewed the video footage myself, I believe the charge of common assault was inadequate, it was basically putting a slap on the wrist of the perpetrator and so I had directed the investigators to do further work to gather more evidence and record more statements, that was done yesterday and I must commend the officers in the Domestic Violence Unit for responding quickly to my request. Having obtained he request from them, I communicated with the director of public prosecution, we both agreed that the charges should be upgraded from common assault to that of abusing a child, basically."
"We had to speak with the mother and explain to her the nature of what we're dealing with. You can't be a mother and see that your child is being abused at such magnitude and want nothing. I don't think that a woman should love a man more than how they love their own children and so she was spoken to and eventually she decided that she was going to cooperate with the police and she did. We got the statement from her and so we were able to make significant progress."
Jules Vasquez
"And you got a conviction?"
Chester Wiliams, Commissioner of Police
"Well of course yes the defendant pled guilty to the two counts and so as you have heard my submission to the court, I will be seeking a custodial sentence."
Flores was remanded pending sentencing on June third.
The offense carries a 10 year sentence - which the magistrate can vary.
We'll be in court for the sentencing.
