Fight between two 7-year-olds turns violent after mom gets involved

An argument between two young children playing outside together escalated to violence when a parent got involved, a North Bay mom says.

North Bay police confirm they have charged a 33-year-old female with assault in the incident that happened nearly two weeks ago.

"As this incident involves minors, in order to protect their identity, I cannot release the name of the accused," North Bay Police Service spokesperson David Woolley told CTV News in an email Thursday afternoon.

CTV News spoke with the victim's mom, Stephanie, and is omitting her last name to protect her son's identity.

Stephanie told CTV News in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon her son was playing outside with other kids in the neighbourhood on McNamara Street when he got into an argument with one of his friends over the sharing of sleds.

She was out of town at the time with her other child at a basketball tournament, so her son was staying with a babysitter.

After the argument, the kids went their separate ways and he went to a nearby corner store with his babysitter's older son, she said.

While he was there, Stephanie said the mother of the girl he had a disagreement with came up to him, held him against the wall and choked the seven-year-old.

A store clerk intervened, escorted her out and walked the boys back to the babysitter's house.

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When Stephanie found out what happened, she said she called police right away.

"He is very shook up and scared, but he is physically OK," she said.

The accused was charged Jan. 30 after police compiled video footage and witness statements, Stephanie said.

After the incident, Stephanie said she reached out to the other mom whose response was, "went to your door, nobody answered, so I handled it." An apology has never been offered, she said.

As a result of the attack, she said her son doesn't want to play outside because the accused lives nearby and luckily, the two children don't go to school together.

Both victim and witness services have reached out to offer the young victim counselling, Stephanie said.

All she wants is for the neighbourhood children to be safe again, she added.

The accused was released on an undertaking following her arrest and is scheduled to appear in court March 14.

The charge has not been proven in court.