Sheriff’s deputies arrested a woman in Marion County accused of beating a child now identified to TV20 as the sibling of 3-year-old Paisley Brown by the biological father.
Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 47-year-old Vanessa Pawlicki on the charge of child abuse without great bodily harm.
According to the arrest report, an eyewitness reported seeing Pawlicki hit the child victim as punishment for getting in trouble at church. She also reportedly kicked the victim and dragged him inside their home by his hair.
Pawlicki’s daughter saw the witness watching them and reportedly said, “Great, my mother is going to jail.”
The witness said Pawlicki then started coaching the child to say he got hurt while playing and told him that he would go to jail if he told the truth.
During a medical evaluation, bruises were found all over the child’s body, including his head, arms, chest, back, and legs.
The child victim told deputies he fell off the bed and hit his head and denied being abused; however, officials say the bruising is consistent with abuse, not simply hitting the bed frame.
When speaking to investigators, Pawlicki denied abusing the victim and said she didn’t know how the bruising occurred other than the bed incident.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has removed the children in the home from Pawlicki’s care. The victim was initially in the custody of Jennifer Kendrick but was removed following the death of Paisley Brown, 3.
As of this report, it’s unclear where the children have been placed following the latest allegation of abuse.
Woman arrested for abusing Paisley Brown’s sibling in Marion County, DCF removes children
Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Vanessa Pawlicki on Monday on the charge of child abuse without great bodily harm
