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Miami Mom Accused of Beating Son With Meat Tenderizer Over Homework

Martha Ciguenas was arrested Monday on an aggravated child abuse charge

A Miami mother is accused of hitting her 9-year-old son with a meat tenderizer during an argument over his homework.

Martha Ciguenas, 44, was arrested Monday on an aggravated child abuse charge in the April 4 incident, according to an arrest report.

The report said the boy hadn't told Ciguenas that he was supposed to do additional homework while he was on spring break and she became irate, throwing a water bottle and cellphone at him but missing him.

At one point, Ciguenas grabbed a glass candle holder and hit him in the head with it twice, then grabbed a metal meat tenderizer and hit him in the head, causing lacerations, the report said.

Ciguenas continued to yell and scream at the boy and hit him on the arm with the tenderizer, causing spike marks and indentations that started bleeding, the report said.

The boy was examined by a child protection team, which concluded the injuries "were consistent with child physical abuse," the report said. Ciguenas denied striking the boy intentionally, the report said.

Ciguenas was booked into jail, where she was being held Tuesday on $5,000 bond, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.

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