WILKES-BARRE — A city woman was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on charges alleging she beat and verbally abused two adopted children for years.
Carmen Inocente, 54, of 245 Madison St., is accused of beating a 14-year-old boy with a stick and a horse whip and cutting off the hair of his 16-year-old sister because she was angered the girl was in possession of a cellphone.
According to the complaint, the children told investigators in August that Inocente, their aunt, adopted them when they were young children, around 5 and 6 years old. The abuse was ongoing from that time, police said.
The boy told police Inocente had beat him on multiple occasions, and that he had to wear long-sleeved shirts to school to cover his bruises, according to the complaint.
One time when Inocente badly scratched him — causing a two-inch scar that remains on the right side of his face — the boy stayed home from school for a week, police said.
The children reported that in addition to the physical abuse, Inocente cursed at them in Spanish and said she “never should have adopted them,” the complaint alleges.
The abuse came to light after Inocente went “crazy” on the girl one night in late March, police said.
After finding the girl in possession of a cellphone a friend had given her, Inocente began beating the girl because she did not want her socializing, the complaint alleges.
The next morning, Inocente continued assaulting the girl, forcing her onto a bed and cutting her hair as punishment, police said. When the children’s uncle came home and saw what was happening, he called 911, but Inocente told the children to hide in the attic so they couldn’t talk to police, the complaint alleges.
Seeking to get the friend suspended for providing the girl a cellphone, Inocente then brought the girl to school, despite her being embarrassed because her hair was a “mess,” police said.
Court documents show the children were removed from the home after that incident.
Police charged Inocente with aggravated assault and two counts each of child endangerment and simple assault. Magisterial District Judge Thomas F. Malloy Sr. was scheduled to arraign her on the charges Tuesday morning.
A preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 5.