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Palmdale woman gets 2 years in prison for beating toddler

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A pregnant Michelle Fletcher was arrested Feb. 21 for assaulting her boyfriend's 2-year-old son in public. The boy was airlifted to the hospital, where he remained until March 6. (Photos by LUIS MEZA)
A pregnant Michelle Fletcher was arrested Feb. 21 for assaulting her boyfriend’s 2-year-old son in public. The child was airlifted to the hospital, where he remained until March 6. (Photos by LUIS MEZA)

PALMDALE – A 27-year-old woman accused of brutally beating her boyfriend’s 2-year-old son near a Palmdale bus stop was sentenced to two years in prison after accepting a plea deal.

Michelle Fletcher pleaded no contest July 30 to one count of child abuse, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for the plea, the prosecution dismissed one felony count of corporal injury on a child, according to court records.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on the afternoon of February 21 near 10th Street East and Avenue Q-4 in Palmdale. Fletcher was pushing a baby carriage while scolding and striking a crying toddler walking beside her, according to an eyewitness who testified at the preliminary court hearing.

Fletcher kneed the toddler twice in the buttocks and then wrapped a belt around the child’s neck and raised him off the ground, the witness said.

When deputies were called to the scene a short time later, the two-year-old appeared extremely lethargic and a chunk of his hair was missing, according to Palmdale Sheriff’s deputy Mario Villalobos.

Deputies found a belt and a chunk of the child’s hair in Fletcher’s diaper bag, Villalobos testified.

The child was airlifted to the hospital, where he remained for nearly two weeks.  Hospital staff told investigators that the toddler was extremely dehydrated, and he had numerous superficial wounds and bruises, lots of scabbing, and strangulation marks on his neck, according to court testimony by Special Victim’s Bureau Detective Laura Bruner.

Fletcher was sentenced July 30 to two years in state prison, and she was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the child, according to court records. Fletcher, who has been jailed since the incident, was given total credit for 320 days in custody – 160 days actual custody and 160 days credit for good time/work time, court records show.

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Previous related stories:

Palmdale woman to stand trial in toddler beating

Palmdale woman arrested for beating 2-year-old

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

42 comments for "Palmdale woman gets 2 years in prison for beating toddler"

  1. I just wanted to say I was incarcerated with Michelle recently for a case I was fighting and won. Michelle might have done some bad things, but she has been attending life skills class and is currently one of the ones that would lead the class daily. From my opinion, she has been rehabilitating herself. She told us class members her story and even broke down during one of our sessions. Michelle was very encouraging to many young women in our module. She was constantly praying for us, and teaching us to ask God for forgiveness. She attended the life skills class, the bible study, and church on Sundays. She helped me get through my time there with a positive outlook. I think as a community we need to respect the fact that everyone makes mistakes. Luckily, God took her off the streets before she could permanently injure this child. And as somebody who was jailed with her, she has truly seen her mistakes and is taking the steps to change it. We tend to forget the REASON behind jailing members of our community. The ultimate goal is rehabilitation correct? But it’s people that constantly remind her of the mistake she made that will cause her to regress, and not progress in her healing. I have 2 beautiful children, and could not imagine hurting one of them, but I also have been given the word of God. And that tells me to forgive. I forgive her, how many others will too?

  2. Ms Fletcher will be out in no time at all. However during her incarceration we the tax payers will support her and her illegitimate family.
    When she is released from prison we the tax payers will continue to support her & her family. She will probably have more children. She will probably have numerous run in’s with the law. The children she brings into the world will become acclimated to this way of life and simply continue the vicious cycle.
    Ms Fletcher, prove me wrong. Make the world a better place and prove me wrong…

  3. I understand the view points here, but none of us were there, and I’m sure they did an investigation.

    I just hope that this little boy is safe now.

  5. Wow are you [removed] kidding me first gabriel now this?!?!! Imagine all the cases that aren’t being reported in palmdale :( Especially with the lousy social workers here

    And as some other people were saying.. this woman is only getting 6 months for almost killing a [removed] 2 year old..

  6. Why is folks Bickering Bacc and forth pushen the race card?? THIS LADIE IS CLEARLY SHAMLESSLY lost her mind abusing this young child like that and yes she got off light by the courts but one thing fosho god dont like ugly and he favors the children…..this will not be a short six months in jail because inmates dont favor child molesters or abusers and I hope they get on her line and expose her real good in jail and let the pain rain down on her becuse she has that coming race has nothen to do with it shell be open prey fo any race who fills like they wanna hold court and and disaplent her..the laws of the land behind bars…

  7. From how she treated him its obvious it wasn’t the first time, and if she was that cruel in public where others could see, I hate to imagine what she did in private. There is no way the father did not know how he was being treated and charges should have been pressed against him too. Its sad how little the courts valued the horror this child had to endure b giving such a light sentence. It does not matter if the child threw fits or not, nearl hanging him was not how to deal with anything. If you dont know how to handle a child then you should not be the caretaker for that child …EVER. Anyone who llets her have a child in her care again needs to be charged as we, this person does not deserve the privelage.

    • Well that’s pretty feministic to say that the father should be punished. For all you know the father could be dead or pushed away be this mother. However you are right that he shouldn’t have received such a light sentence

      • Ben – Did you bother reading the story? It clearly stated she beated her boyfriends child. This child was not her child.

    • Did ANY of YOU read the whole thing the TODDLER that she beat was HER BOYFRIENDS A 27-year-old woman accused of brutally beating her boyfriend’s 2-year-old son “, if she didnt treat him badly in front of the father then NO he wouldnt know at 2 it isnt like the little guy could tell and I sure she gave a million excuses for his bruises to his father! Sadly she is getting way too light of a sentence ! Hope the little guy is ok and doesnt remember this horrible event.

  8. Using an instrument to apply pressure to someones neck, then lifting them with the instrument, is enough to snap a person’s neck. Especially a toddler. 2 years is a slap on the wrist. Should have been a lot longer.

  9. Hmmm, I still have a few questions about all of this. According to that caption, she was pregnant at the time of arrest. So, did she already give birth to that child yet? Does she still have rights to that baby, as well as the one she was pushing that day in the stroller?

    And why wasn’t the father charged with anything? I recall reading she was the girlfriend of the father, who happened to have the toddler on a visitation day. Shouldn’t there be some level of responsibility on his part for leaving the toddler in her care? Especially when you consider that the baby was extremely dehydrated and had marks and scars from previous beatings. That amount of abuse doesn’t go by unnoticed, unless you let it.

    • If you are asking where the Father is, you should also be asking where the baby’s mother is. The Father and this “woman” were having a visitation DAY when this happened.

    • Why would the father be arrested he there and played no role In the abuse his only mistake was trusting the bitch with his kid

  10. And I got 3 years for a 220 ten thousandths of a gram (an empty bag the police scraped) of meth. Unbelievable. I hope they throw this skank on a mainline and not in protective custody.

    • Yeah child abusers get over way too easy . NOT that I am for drug use at all but I have heard MANY cases were drug offender has received MUCH longer then even a sex offender

  11. It’s upsetting to know this heartless woman ONLY gets 2 years !
    But .. She is going to prison.
    (for beating a child)

    I really hope her friends in there don’t find out.

    \\//

    And to whoever Is defending this woman on here.
    Y’all should leave your kids with her to babysit when she gets out .

    Smh..

    • i don’t think she is going to be doing any prison time considering all the credits she was given. By the time they transfer her she will be released. She will more than likely do her time in the County jail.

  12. Think of this poor child 2 years old at the mercy of someone so heartless and out weighting him by 200+pounds treating him this way in PUBLIC what was going on in private!!???!!??? IF there were so many evidence on the baby’s neck multiple bruises dehydration clear sign of abuse then this women should have gotten a lot more time then what she got that’s why people don’t care because the law seems to be a JOKE…..

  13. Women are commit 2/3rds of abuse of children and the elderly and do 1/7th the time IF they are prosecuted at all.

    If she was a man, she’d be in jail for attempted murder.

    Look at it folks…feminist jurisprudence in action.

  15. And why does everything in the valley become a race thing. She beat a child she deserves to go to prison.
    It does not matter what color her skin is… Jeeeezzz

  16. OK mariah obviously you know her them you will know that she is an evil woman and had scarred that child for the rest of his life. You sitting here and defend this woman is truly amazing… who benefits from that one phone call.. The over worked cops…. A system strained with child abuse cases…. Your comment is stupid… If She is no high profile community member…. In sure welfare was her source of income right??? If the child threw tantrums ummmmm it’s obvious she did not know how to parent…..

  17. WOW SERIOUSLY??????? This is why people will continue to harm the innocent children because they get a slap on hand. Wow KARMA is not nice and it will come around….maybe her cellmate will treat her like she treated the child that wasn’t even hers. I am sure that the whole story has not been told or released but the findings are real and I am sure the child didn’t do all that damage on his own. Theses women DO NOT DESERVE to be around precious women.

  19. You people have no idea how dirty the system can be. Michelle didn’t commit these accusations. Their are some evil racist people in this town and all it takes is a phone call to destroy someone’s life. That kid always pulled his hair out when he cried and threw tantrums so I feel real bad this happened to Michelle. Unfortunately some of us can’t afford an attorney but I know I’ll see Michelle again and I pray for you my friend hang in there you are a beautiful person and a wonderful mother.

    • A investigation is done and hospital doctors determined child abuse no kid would hurt themself to a extreme point.

    • let me guess, the kid wrapped the belt around his neck too? And this 2 year old also gave him self scabs and bruises too? And if the belt part was a lie from an evil racist, how would the witness know there was even a belt involved? You have blinders on! Obviously your idea of a “wonderful mother” is twisted. Hopefully you aren’t the same kind of “wonderful mother”

    • OH RIGHT!!!! DID THECHILD ALWAYS LEAVE BELT MARKS ON HIS NECK TOO??? COME ON LADY, GET REAL… THAT WAS PURE CHILD ABUSE AND YOU KNOW IT!!! THEY SAY SHE IS PREGNANT. THEY SHOULD TAKE THAT BABY AWAY FROM HER AS SOON AS SHE GIVES BIRTH, AND ALL HER OTHER CHILDREN TOO IF SHE HAS ANY!!! GOOD GOD!!!

    • If people are evil racists then why are people like that child beater here in the AV? True, the area has gone down hill and if you all would head south to Compton we’d all be happy. The Hospital reports don’t lie!! Don’t be ignorant and make excuses.
      ” Hospital staff told investigators that the toddler was extremely dehydrated, and he had numerous superficial wounds and bruises, ‘lots of scabbing, and strangulation marks on his neck, “. You don’t treat kids like that!

    • Mariah are you kidding me????????????? He has never pulled out his own hair. A child can’t pull out that much of his hair. You feel sorry for her? Did you see what he looked like the next day? He was in the hospital for weeks and weeks and almost died. Who doesn’t give a child water or juice on a hot day? Who makes a child walk when they are sick? She never liked this child. She is not a good mother either. You must be living in a fantasy land somewhere. Michelle hopefully will never get any of her children back and if you think this hasn’t effected this 2 year old-you are sadly mistaken. She should stay in prison.

      • mariah also said this woman is beautiful when she’s quite obviously an obese, sweaty, heffer of a beast. I wouldn’t trust mariah when it come to evaluating a person.

    • Mariah..It appears you don’t have any compassion or concern for this ..toddler..Old markings and scrapps found on the child’s body, which I’m quite sure he didn’t inflict…She PLEAD NO CONTEST.same as GUILTY

    • Serious?? How can you claim racism,the child was same race as her/..oh wait ou mean because one of the witnesses wasnt same race it makes it racism…oh wow, how ignorant is that. Also , how could child have pule his own hair out with her belt, and better yet why did she even have a belt in a diaper bag to begin with?? Wish it would have went before a jury and then she would have received more time and from others of her race too..then what would have been the complaint????Mariah do you really think that other African American people will think that abusing a child is right???? Must be some horrible people ou know and associate with then, and your children, if you have any, should be kept an eye on too.

    • So then you re telling me the witnesses lied? There was more than one witness. Go climb back under Michelle’s ass.

  20. Do you all understand she’s only going to do another 6 months for almost killing this 2 year old child?

  21. I hope she’s killed in jail. she deserves to be torchered every day for the rest of her life. Scum. And this valley is filled with it