(Facebook)
A 30-year-old mother faces a felony child abuse charge after police say she choked a 12-year-old boy who she claimed was bullying her daughter. Delia Garcia-Bratcher, 30, was arrested on Friday afternoon at Olivet Elementary Charter School in Santa Rosa, Calif. after she made her way onto school property and confronted the boy in front of other students, according to The Associated Press.
Here’s what you need to know about Garcia-Bratcher:
1. She Confronted the Boy at School
Santa Clara, Calif. is roughly an hour north of San Francisco.
According to KTVU, Garcia-Bratcher arrived at Olivet Elementary Charter School on Friday afternoon without checking in with the school’s front office. She then asked her son to point out the boy who had allegedly been bullying her daughter and confronted the boy in front of her son and other school children, KTVU reports.
2. She Left Marks on the Boy’s Neck
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying Garcia-Bratcher had left red marks on the boy’s neck, which were immediately photographed by teachers at the school when they learned of the incident. No adults witnessed the incident, according to the sheriff’s office, but officials interviewed several students who saw the assault.
3. Officials Have Called the Incident Unreasonable
Both law enforcement and school officials have called Garcia-Bratcher’s handling of the incident inappropriate, including Lt. Mark Essick of the Sonoma County sheriff’s department. The Press Democrat Reports:
But, he said, even if bullying was occurring, Garcia-Bratcher had no business confronting the boy directly.
“To take it into her own hands was absolutely the wrong thing to do,” Essick said.
4. Garcia-Bratcher Isn’t the First Parent to Confront Their Child’s Bully
(NBC10)
Garcia-Bratcher is just one of several parents who have confronted students bullying their children at school.
Chris and Christina Gring confronted allegedly climbed aboard their son’s school bus in Montgomery County, Penn. and shouted, “who made my son cry?” at kids on the bus back in November, according to NBC 10.
(NBC6)
Irisdaly Rios attacked 12-year-old middle school student Ashley Perez at Hialeah Middle School in Hialeah, Fla. after Rios claimed Perez bullied her daughter on a daily basis, NBC 6 reports.
5. Garcia-Bratcher Faces a Felony Charge
Garcia-Bratcher was booked into Sonoma County Jail on Friday afternoon on a felony charge of inflicting injury upon a child, according to NBC Los Angeles. She was released on $30,000 bail and has since disconnected her listed telephone number, NBC Los Angeles reports.