Victorville Woman, 39, Accused Of Cruelty After Video Of Child Hit With iPad Surfaces On Social Media
VICTORVILLE (CBSLA.com) — A 39-year-old Victorville woman is being accused of willful child cruelty after a video of her allegedly hitting a 3-year-old boy surfaced on social media.
Authorities said Yvonne Camargo is shown on the video hitting a boy in the face with something resembling an iPad.
The video was filmed about 6 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of a retail complex in the 14300 block of Bear Valley Road in Victorville. The video was posted about three hours after the incident.
Deputies identified the woman in the video as Camargo and made contact with her at her Victorville home.
Deputy Scott Abernathy examined the child for injuries, conducted a criminal interview with Camargo and notified Children & Family Services.
San Bernardino Sheriff's Department says the case is being submitted to the District Attorney's Office for review.
At this juncture, it is unclear if Camargo is the boy's mother or caregiver.
On Friday evening, KCAL9's Crystal Cruz spoke to the man who videotaped the incident.
The man named Edward only wanted his first name used.
A woman walked out of a clothing store in Victorville and into the cellphone camera lens of a passerby.
"I didn't know what to do. You see something going on; you know it's wrong, but still something in you stops you," said Edward.
The videographer, who has three children of his own, said he saw the woman and the child in the parking lot when he noticed she was pulling the boy by the hair.
"You know, [she] didn't expect anyone was going to see, and I did," he says.
After the woman pulled the boy by the hair, he began filming.
Edward moved in extremely close with his camera and captured what appears to be the woman hitting the boy in the face with the device.
Seconds later, the woman turns around surprised.
"I wanted to grab her hand and stop her from hitting the child," Edward said, "But I didn't know how to do it."
On the video, another witness to the incident can be overheard saying: "Why are you hitting him like that? You can go to jail for that."
At the home where Camargo lives, Cruz spoke to a man who said he was the boy's father.
She asked: "Do you think it was OK for her to hit him in the face with the tablet? Come on, Dad."
"I don't have nothing to say," the man replied.
Edward did not understand the woman's actions or the man's reaction.
"If that was my child, I would be outraged," Edward said.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Deputy Abernathy at (760) 241-2911.
To see the video posted on YouTube, click here. (Warning: strong language)
