A Fort Belvoir woman pleaded guilty yesterday to brutally beating her 10-year-old child in an incident that left the child with substantial bruises and a cut finger.
Alexandria, Va. – China Ashley Charles, 38, was enraged at her child because his bedroom was messy on October 8, 2024. She struck him with a chair, dresser drawers, a hot iron, a charging wire, a hairbrush, and a large serving spoon.
Charles attempted to strike the child’s face with the iron, but he blocked it with his hands. When Charles hit the child with the charging wire, his finger was cut and began bleeding. She then tried to hide her crime by making the child sit in a cold bath and splashing cold water on his face.
The child dropped onto the roof from his second-floor bedroom and then jumped down from the roof and fled. He was recovered by police with substantial bruises, abrasions, a knot on the back of his head, and a cut and bleeding finger.
The child was transported to the emergency room at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital by ambulance.
Law enforcement recovered numerous items from China’s residence, including the iron, chair, hairbrush, spoon, multiple dresser drawers, and a sweater and a shirt with ‘I’M ON PUNISHMENT’ written on them in black marker. Several of these items appeared to have blood on them, and further examination confirmed that the child’s blood was located on the iron and at least one dresser drawer.
The child’s sister reported that China had been beating him for the past four years.
Charles is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9 and faces up to 16 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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