WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Bond was set at $50,000 for a 27-year-old woman who is accused of abusing a 5-year-old boy.
A video circulating on social media shows a child being abused, which also alerted authorities that something was wrong.
Wearing jail orange, McElravy appeared via video in Newton Falls Municipal Court for her arraignment Thursday on a felony charge of endangering children.
“By the revised code, she was charged with the most serious offense that was available to us,” said Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe. “We want to remove this woman from the street for as long as we can. We would like to prevent her from ever harming another child, and if there are other crimes that she’s committed and you know about it, please call us.”
McElravy was arrested after deputies went to her Scott Street home in Newton Township Tuesday. The complaint says that McElravy threw the child across the room, slammed him to the ground and hit him continuously with a belt. A video of the alleged abuse was posted to Facebook earlier this week.
WKBN was sent the video and immediately contacted the police.
“I couldn’t believe that a small child like this, an adult was entrusted in his care would do this to another human being, whether it was a child or another person or an animal, it’s just unbelievable,” Monroe said.
The victim is not McElravy’s biological son. Monroe said there were some rumors that she and the child were part of a foster care arrangement but that is not the case.
“We did not have custody and no county had custody of the child, and it’s not unusual to place a child with kin and have them take legal custody of the child,” said Tim Schaffner with Trumbull County Children Services.
The victim is now in emergency foster care through Trumbull County Children Services. McElravy’s own children are staying with relatives.
McElravy was ordered to have no contact with any children, and her next court appearance is set for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 4.
