Miami Mom Defends Burning Son’s Hand On Stove, Says Boy Is Too ‘Rebellious’ At 6 Years Old

A young Miami mom defended her right to burn her son’s hand on a stove top as form of punishment.

Writers for the New York Post note that Miriam Rebodello, 29, was recently arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse for the disturbing incident she says was necessary to properly discipline her 6-year-old son.

Speaking to reporters outside of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Friday morning, Rebodello swore that she wasn’t a “bad mother,” and claimed that she had no other options when it came to keeping her son in line.

“My son is so rebellious that he got to the point to kill an animal,” she said in Spanish, adding, “what am I supposed to do? Stay home without doing anything for my son?”

The mom expressed that she burned her son’s hand after learning through school officials relayed that the boy was hitting his classmates. According to Rebodello, she feared that if she didn’t step in harshly, her child would grow up to be a “criminal.”

“The 29-year-old mother, who was arrested Thursday, said she was being judged unfairly as a bad mother because people don’t know the whole truth,” Click Orlando writes. “She said she doesn’t want her son to grow up to be a convicted felon, or to be the type of man who would grab his wife and punch her.”

In court, the young mom, who hails from Columbia, was reprimanded by Miami-Dade County Judge Ariana Fajardo.

“Maybe in Colombia it’s OK to take the child and put their burning hand on a stove, but in the United States, it’s not,” the judge told Rebodello.

The mother admitted to police that she became overwhelmed and had no other choice on how to discipline the boy. She revealed that she has taken him to psychiatrists to work out his issues, but nothing seems to be getting through to him.

“It’s so easy to get guns,” the mother reportedly told news crews outside of the jail.

“You want my son to grow up to be a bully who beats up on kids? And he isn’t just going after boys, he bullied a girl.”

Rebodello was released on $7,500 bond early Friday. The boy will reportedly be placed in foster care.

[Featured Image by Miami-Dade Police Department]