A Marion County woman’s attempt at “discipline” ended in handcuffs after deputies said she wrapped her hands around her son’s neck and slammed his head into a bathroom wall.
Deputies arrested 36-year-old Dayna Michelle Kellar on Sept. 14, charging her with child abuse without great bodily harm. The incident began the day before, when Kellar reported her son missing. Deputies later found the boy, who said he ran away because he feared his mother.
According to the arrest report, the trouble started when the boy went back into the bathroom to grab his forgotten cellphone, accidentally joining his younger sibling who was already inside. When Kellar noticed the two children in the bathroom together, she accused her son of inappropriate behavior, called him a “pervert,” and then allegedly grabbed him by the throat and slammed his head into the wall. Deputies noted swelling and a hematoma on the boy’s forehead, along with a fresh dent in the bathroom wall matching the injury’s height.
Paramedics transported the victim to the hospital, and child welfare officials later removed him from the home, deeming it unsafe.
Kellar denied choking or striking her son, insisting the boy hurt himself while “running through the woods.” Deputies, however, found no dirt, scratches, or other injuries to support her version of events. She also claimed a dent in the bathroom wall pre-dated the incident but could not provide proof.
Kellar was booked into Marion County Jail without bond due to the domestic nature of the charge.
