Police: Mom encouraged son, 9, to beat up boy

Daytona Beach Shores police arrest woman

Dawn Lake.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. – A 48-year-old Volusia County woman was arrested on suspicion of encouraging her 9-year-old son to beat up a 10-year-old boy whom she was babysitting.

The 10-year-old suffered a black eye, a cut on his temple and two golf ball-sized lumps on his forehead, Daytona Beach Shores police said.

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According to police, a 38-year-old Daytona Beach woman left her 10-year-old son in the care of Dawn Susanne Lake on Sunday.  When the woman returned to pick her son up, she found him huddled behind a garbage can outside, police said.

The woman began questioning her son, but Lake intervened, saying the boys got into a fight because after Lake's son kicked her son, according to police.

After returning home that evening, the 10-year-old's mother discovered a phone message from her son, which was made during the incident, police said.

On the message, the boy can be heard pleading for someone to get off him and saying, "I didn't do anything" and "Please, no."

According to Daytona Beach Shores police, the 10-year-old told investigators that the other boy repeatedly kicked and punched him on the ground while his mother encouraged the beating. 

Police said Lake could be heard on the message saying, "Come on, (name omitted), punch him!" 

Police said she also could be heard demeaning 10-year-old boy, "You're a (expletive).  You don't like it, do you?  (Name omitted) had enough of your (expletive) and beat the (expletive) out of you!"

When officers questioned Lake, she admitted to encouraging the attack, saying, "He needed to get his ass kicked."

Lake was arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and violating her probation.


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