Lowell mother charged with assaulting daughter

LOWELL, Mass. (WHDH) -- A mother in Lowell appeared in court Wednesday to face charges of assault and battery on a child.

The woman’s daughter told police her mother gave her a bloody nose.

Carla Williams, 29, was led off to jail Wednesday after she was arraigned for aggravated assault and battery on her 10-year-old daughter at their home in Lowell Tuesday.

Police say Williams, described as enraged, chased her daughter to her neighbor’s house where she had been playing, and allegedly dragged her daughter by the hair all the way back to their house, slapped, and punched her daughter in the face.

"She grabbed her by her hair and pulled her out by her hair. She was yelling at her and hit her -- I think -- as they were crossing the road," a neighbor said. "I don't think the mother had the right to do anything to that child at that moment."

Police say they responded when the daughter called 911.

“At that time, the defendant stated, ‘Yeah, I grabbed her, dragged her ass across the street. There’s nothing you can do about it. I’m her mother and I can discipline her however I need to. Police had the opportunity to speak with the named victim -- the juvenile -- who was described as crying uncontrollably and bleeding from her nose. Police observed four droplets of blood on the inside part of the house when she entered. The child victim’s hands were also covered in blood,” said Joseph Galvin, prosecutor.

Williams is being held on $500 cash bail.

The child is now in the custody of The State Department of Children and Families along with her two younger sisters.