California woman accused of assaulting 2-year-old on Delta flight

( KTXL ) — A California woman was arrested for allegedly assaulting a child on an international flight Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Multiple passengers on a flight from Mexico to Seattle witnessed the Sacramento woman, 33, assault a 2-year-old who was traveling with her on the Delta flight May 1, according to a Department of Justice press release.

At one point the child, who was in the window seat, woke up the woman, who allegedly turned and kicked the 2-year-old, then shook the toddler “like a rag doll,” the release stated.

The DOJ said the woman continued to abuse the child despite interventions from passengers and was arrested when the plane landed in Sea-Tac airport.

USA Today reports that a member of the Civil Aviation Security Program who was called to the scene saw multiple bruises visible on the child’s face and body. The woman reportedly explained the marks, saying that a dog had caused them one week before the flight.

Authorities did not specify the relationship between the two but said the child was placed with a relative.

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Judge Brian Tsuchida ordered that the woman be detained pre-trial, saying the victim was “particularly vulnerable,” and that he was concerned for the 2-year-old’s safety because the woman allegedly “committed the assaults in front of so many people on a lengthy plane trip.”

The woman’s next hearing is scheduled for May 16.

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