Jul 15, 2008 3:51 pm US/Eastern
N.H. Mom Charged In Brutal Beating Of Stepdaughter
WEBSTER, N.H. (WBZ) ―
The woman wanted for beating her stepdaughter for hours, putting her in intensive care, has been arrested in Florida.
Cara LeBlanc, 29, of Webster, New Hampshire, was arrested in Cape Coral, Florida Tuesday afternoon.
Police allege LeBlanc repeatedly dragged the 8-year-old child to the top of a flight of stairs and pushed her down while her hands and feet were tied. LeBlanc is also accused of beating the girl with a belt for nine hours until it broke.
Other children were at home at the time of the alleged abuse, but none of them were harmed, police said.
Family members rushed the 8-year-old to the hospital on Saturday. "A doctor at Children's Hospital said it's one of the worst cases of child abuse she's ever seen," Webster Chief of Police Brian Milano told the New Hampshire Union Leader.
This is not the first time officers have been called to LeBlanc's house for domestic issues, but is unclear what kind of reports were called in to police in the past.
LeBlanc is charged with first-degree assault and criminal restraint, police said.
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