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.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
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.
Correction
The gender of the other child involved in the argument was incorrectly identified as male in the initial publication, the friend was a 7-year-old female and the article above has been corrected.
The victim's mother clarified the assault took place Jan. 21 and while she called police that same day, they went in to make an official report the next day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
LIVE @ 1:15 PT B.C. premier to give announcement related to public drug use
B.C.'s premier is scheduled to give an update Friday about public drug use in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.