Louisiana Mother Arrested For Beating Three Sons With Belt After Catching Them Burglarizing Neighbor’s Home

A Louisiana mother of six was arrested Tuesday for beating her three sons after catching them burglarize a neighbor’s home, according to WBRZ. When 30-year-old Schaquana Evita Spears of Baton Rouge received a call from a neighbor, informing her that her three sons – aged 10, 12, and 13 – had returned to their home on the 5470 Satinwood Drive on Friday, June 17, appearing to have stolen items in bags, she didn’t hesitate to take action.

The mother stated that she left her job and arrived at her home within three minutes, catching her three sons with the stolen items. When the teens realized they were caught red-handed, they reportedly tried to jump out of the window to get away. However, Spears told reporters that she chased after them with a belt and began whipping them.

Documents stated that a few days later, while her 13-year-old son was in custody at a juvenile facility, he reportedly told Baton Rouge police officials that his mother beat him with an “RCA cord multiple times.” Investigators paid Spears a visit at her home, questioning her about the incident.

However, the Louisiana mother, who works as a cook and operates a small catering business, was arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to juveniles after she reportedly admitted to hitting her three sons when she caught them burglarizing a neighbor’s home, where they were accused of “stealing a hoverboard, electronics and socks.” Spears also stated that she ordered her sons to return the items they stole after punishing them.

The three boys reportedly burglarized 45-year-old Lisa Nicholson’s home, who was stunned by the Louisiana mother’s arrest. She stated that Spears’ action should have been commended. Although she was not present at the time of the burglary, Nicholson added that, had she been home, she could have been possibly “killed the boys out of panic when they busted her back window.”

In a statement, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar C. Moore III stated, “Parents have the right and obligation to discipline and teach their children. We often time see children who have no parental authority or discipline which eventually results in delinquency and criminal acts. We need more parents who discipline their children. Surely you would expect a parent to discipline a child who is burglarizing other people’s homes as this could be a deadly encounter for the child.”

“The degree of physical discipline will be reviewed. The law does not allow excessive pain or cruelty, but does allow physical parental discipline. I only have the short synopsis, which does indicate that the discipline resulted in marks on the child’s body and possibly an open wound.”

“I will review all of the reports; meet with the Department of Children and Families and review any history of this mother and her children to get a better picture of the entire family dynamics before making a decision,” the statement continued. “In the meantime, my office is working with the juvenile court to make sure the mother has a speedy release under conditions satisfactory to the court.”

According to The Advocate, when social media users learned Spears was arrested for disciplining her children after they burglarized a neighbor’s home, they were outraged, including 83-year-old Louis Villa of Oakland, California who said, “I had a single parent, and hey, she had to discipline us. Yeah, I got hit by an ironing cord, but it made me a better person. It saved my life.”

“She explained why she had to hit us, why she had to discipline us, why we had to be home at a certain time. It just is not easy for black women in America.”

After the Louisiana mother of six was arrested and taken to the East Baton Rouge Parish jail, her bail was set at $2,500. However, Spears was released from jail the same night she was arrested after someone saw her story on the news and posted her bail.

[Image via Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office]