A California mother faces felony child abuse charges after allegedly assaulting an 11-year old boy for bullying her daughter.
Officials say 30-year old Delia Garcia-Bratcher grabbed the boy by the throat in front of other students during a lunch period. She was arrested and released after posting bail of $30,000.
Garcia-Bratcher allegedly entered Olivet Charter Elementary School without signing in at the front desk, and entered the lunchroom.
Lt. Mark Essick of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department decried the mother's actions. "It's pretty unreasonable for a parent to go storming on campus like this," he told The Press Democrat.
Garcia-Bratcher told police that she was at the school to enroll another child, when she saw her 11-year old son playing on the playground.
She asked her son to point out the boy that had been bullying her daughter, and allegedly assaulted the accused bully.
Authorities say that no adults saw the attack, but several students were witnesses. The students also said that Garcia-Bratcher threatened the boy not to bully her daughter anymore.
Olivet teachers took pictures of red marks around the accused bully's neck, and Lt. Essick said that sherrif's deputies also saw the marks.
Authorities are investigating the bullying claims but say that even if they are substantiated, that is no excuse for the mother's actions.
"To take it into her own hands was absolutely the wrong thing to do," Essick said.
Piner-Olivet Union School District Superintendent Jennie Snyder said that school visitors are supposed to check in with the administrative office, and are expected to wear an identifying badge.
"Student safety is our first and foremost concern," she told The Press Democrat. "We have safety procedures in place and we will be following through on them."
A letter detailing the incident will be emailed to parents today.
