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Woman Caught On Tape Striking Toddler For Struggling With Alphabet

GARY, Ind. (STMW) -- A northwest Indiana woman arrested after police viewed a video that showed her striking her 3-year-old son and screaming at him as he struggled to say the alphabet is free on bond.

Rosena Small, 25, of 1812 W. 5th Ave. in Gary was arrested at her apartment Dec. 11 after her ex-boyfriend posted five videos of the incident on YouTube. She is now free on a $20,000 bond.

The videos, obtained by Gary police and the Post-Tribune, show Small using a metal door stopper to smash her son's toys when he couldn't repeat the letters she shouted at him.

The videos were all removed from the Internet hours after Small was arrested.

She is charged with neglect of a dependent and battery resulting in bodily injury.

Her son was placed in foster care after a child welfare case manager showed up at the apartment when police arrested her, and took custody of the child.

Small admitted to police that she hit her son during the incident, which occurred in November, police said. She said her ex-boyfriend, a Chicago resident, posted the scenes after they broke up and she refused to reconcile.

She is scheduled to appear before Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Boswell on Dec. 27 in Crown Point for an initial hearing, court records show.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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