Oklahoma City police say pair admitted beating boy, 14
Published: September 30, 2009
An Oklahoma City woman and a friend confessed to beating her son after the 14-year-old boy reported he’d been abused and locked in a closet repeatedly over a four-year period, police reported.
LaRhonda M. McCall, 37, and Steve V. Hamilton, 38, were arrested Saturday on child abuse and child neglect complaints. They are not formally charged. The boy told police Friday his mother beat him with a broomstick, electrical cord and belt over the last four years and tied him up with twine, court records show. The boy, who has visible scars, said his mother "would lock him in a closet and not feed him for several days at a time,” the records show. He said her friend was abusive as well. He told police he escaped the bedroom closet after pushing open the often blocked door enough to get out, according to a police report. He said he had not had anything to eat in about a week. He said he had never been to school in Oklahoma in the four years he’d stayed with his mother after she got out of jail, the police report shows. McCall admitted Saturday to striking her son "with a belt numerous times on his chest, back and legs over the past three years,” a police officer stated in the court records. She also admitted hitting him with a ruler and hitting his hands with a broom handle. She admitted choking him once. Hamilton, a taxi driver, admitted both to hitting the boy and to witnessing McCall hit the boy, court records show. The boy is identified in court papers as B.M. "Steve stated between June 2007 and August ... 2009 he has probably left marks on the victim’s back, arms or legs about 20 times ... Steve witnessed LaRhonda also beat the victim in this way as well,” the police officer reported in court papers. "Steve stated he also knew that LaRhonda would punish B.M. by putting him in a closet on several different occasions. Steve advised he saw B.M. locked in the closet on at least 27 different occasions. Steve advised LaRhonda would at least keep him in a locked closet sometimes all day or more. Steve also was aware that LaRhonda would tie the victim’s hands up to punish him with a belt. ... "Steve never wanted to contact the police because he was afraid his best friend LaRhonda would get into trouble.” The 14-year-old and McCall’s other minor children were placed in Department of Human Services custody, police said.
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