Woman arrested in Child Abuse case

LOCHBUIE, Colorado – A child seen being abused in a video shared widely on social media is now in protective custody and his mother in jail.

A Lochbuie woman identifying herself only as Sue, said she reported the abuse to police nine days after recording Katrina Flores-Kennedy on April 30.

The dark, cell phone video is disturbing.  The screams of who Lochbuie police believe is Flores-Kennedy can be heard yelling at her toddler son about a lost phone charger.

The boy, wearing a t-shirt and diaper, can be seen crying as his mother yells at him and hits him.

Sue did not want to appear on camera or give her full name, fearing for her safety after posting the video.

“I was only trying to help.  I know everybody’s seen (it), and everybody’s making it like I’m a monster for recording it, but they don’t understand the situation and the circumstances,” she said.

Sue explained she didn’t step in to help the child out of fear and did what she thought was best.

“She was still in my home.  I was scared.  I was terrified.  I didn’t know what to do,” she said.

Flores-Kennedy and her son were temporarily staying in Sue’s home at the time.  Now, the boy is in protective custody but only after Sue said she posted the video online when she didn’t think police were taking action to protect the child.

Sue’s sister said the family is getting death threats.

“It’s extremely hard.  People don’t know the emotional effects that we’re going through being the ones who put it out there.  But nobody wanted to see that baby hurt anymore and if this is what it takes, so what if the world hates us.  At least that baby is saved,” her sister said.

The 27-year-old mother is charged with three counts of child abuse.

She appeared in court by jailhouse video Thursday afternoon.  A judge ordered a $3,000 bond, and is keeping Flores-Kennedy from contacting her son or anyone under the age of 18.  She will be back in court next Friday.

The woman who recorded the video was also cited for child abuse. Late Wednesday night around 10:40 p.m., Lochbuie police officers wrote Sue a citation.  She said she will fight those charges.