Roberts admitted to the abuse and stated it was because the victim could not remember a religious prayer in its entirety
UPDATE 4/02/2025: State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that on Thursday, March 27, 2025, Charles County Circuit Court Judge West sentenced Renee Daytona Roberts, age 45, to 15 years in prison for First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury.
Roberts will be on supervised probation for five years upon release. On March 13, 2025, Roberts pled guilty to the aforementioned charge.
On January 8, 2024, officers with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Patient First in Waldorf for the report of a child being assaulted. At the scene, officers observed an adult female, later identified as Renee Daytona Roberts, pinned down by bystanders on the asphalt.
The juvenile victim, who was 7 years old at the time, was located safe in another bystander’s vehicle. The victim was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital where it was discovered that she suffered two skull fractures and bleeding in the brain from the incident.
Roberts was combative with officers; however, she was apprehended at the scene of the incident.
An investigation revealed that Roberts picked the victim above her head and slammed her onto the concrete in the parking lot of Patient First. Bystanders witnessed the event and intervened, ultimately separating Roberts and the victim until officers arrived.
During the course of the investigation, Roberts admitted to the abuse and stated it was because the victim could not remember a religious prayer in its entirety. The incident was also caught on surveillance video.
During sentencing, the Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the case told the judge that the incident was “quite frankly unimaginable and quite shocking to see.” She furthered, “Certainly, there needs to be a heavy punishment for this and there needs to be protection of this child.”
Before sentencing Roberts, the Honorable Judge West stated, “The damage is tremendous. The level of sadness is tremendous. The video is shocking.”
Sentence
Count 1
- First-Degree Child Abuse: Severe Injury
- 25 Years with all but 15 years suspended
5 Years of Supervised Probation
1/09/2024: On Monday, January 8, 2024, at 7:54 a.m., officers responded to an urgent care facility in Waldorf after receiving calls about a woman in the parking lot who picked up her child, lifted the child over her head and slammed the child, age 7, down onto the asphalt.
Witnesses quickly got to the child and placed the child in their car to keep the child safe until officers arrived.
When officers arrived, the woman was combative. Officers were able to establish a rapport and begin to de-escalate the situation. Another officer checked on the child who had severe injuries.
As officers were attempting to arrest the woman, she bit three officers. She was eventually subdued and transported to a hospital where she was medically cleared.
The child was transported to a hospital with severe head trauma.
To protect the identity of the child, the suspects name is not being released until a later date.
Officer Snyder and Detective Sapienza are investigating.
The 44-year-old Waldorf Woman is being held on a no bond status and is charged with the following below.
- ASSAULT-FIRST DEGREE
- ASSAULT-SECOND DEGREE / Three counts
- CHILD ABUSE 1ST DEG:SEVERE PHY
