Two adults were arrested for child abuse Tuesday night after neighbors complained about the disciplining of a 9-year-old boy.
Lola Bouatic, 34, and Jamar Love, 30, were arrested at about 7:30 p.m. at 2609 Sothman Drive.
Bouatic is the mother of the child. Love played for the Nebraska Danger this year, but is not listed on the team’s active roster.
The couple was disciplining the boy “by making him do wall sits against the fence in the backyard of the apartment complex,” said Capt. Jim Duering of the Grand Island Police Department.
The boy was “leaned up against the wall with his legs at a 90-degree angle while holding a pot of water horizontal out in front of him for between 45 minutes and an hour,” Duering said.
At times, the boy became fatigued. “Jamar was yelling at him to get back in position and Lola at times was striking him with a phone charging cord, causing welts to his back and legs,” Duering said.
Wall sits are a lower leg exercise. The boy was also told to do bear crawls, Duering said.
Neighbors called police after hearing the child crying.
“The officers were pretty concerned, and rightfully so. So they arrested both,” Duering said.
“Jamar did not strike the child that we know of. Neither the child nor anyone else involved indicated that that was the case,” Duering said. “But he was there. He was yelling at him. He didn’t intervene at any point in time. So for his participation, he was also charged.”
Love is not related to the boy. “I believe he is a boyfriend,” Duering said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, both adults were being held in Hall County Jail.
