Robert and Ashley Elderidge, a Florida couple, face child abuse charges for allegedly beating their daughter with a belt and wooden spoon, then forcing her to ingest homemade hot sauce despite her allergy.
Abuse Details
The girl reported to a school resource officer that her father struck her 15 times on the thigh with his hand and belt, causing bruises and welts, over “ink on the cat” from an “experiment.” Her mother held her nose shut to make her swallow spoonfuls of the pepper-onion-oil sauce on 10 occasions, triggering stomach pain and vomiting.
Medical Findings
A doctor’s exam revealed “bizarre” physical abuse, including multiple bruises and three long parallel welts on her thigh.
Parental Admissions and Arrest
Robert admitted to “whooping” her but claimed he aimed for her buttocks. Ashley confessed to the hot sauce punishment for lying about the ink. Both were arrested in Cocoa, held on $5,000 bond each in Brevard County Jail, with a court date of April 7.
