Child beaten with belt for hiding food in his room

A mother and her boyfriend were arrested for severely beating her 12-year-old son with a belt for hiding snacks in his pillowcase, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

On Jan. 27 at around 6:30 p.m., Sheriff Pohlmann said deputies responded to a call about a young boy screaming.

The boy’s mother, Lakeesha Allen, 34, and her boyfriend, Anthony Young Jr., 31, both of 80 Jupiter Circle in Violet, were both booked with cruelty to a juvenile. As of Jan. 30, both Allen and Young were being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison awaiting bond to be set.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the boy, who suffered injuries to his face, neck, chest, back, legs, and arms, was transported to St. Bernard Parish Hospital where he was treated and released. The boy is now staying with a family member.

Both the mother and the boyfriend admitted under questioning they had beaten the child with a belt over him hiding snacks.