Ormond Beach, FL – Deputies arrest a Volusia County couple for allegedly beating a 3-year-old-girl they were babysitting with a belt when she misbehaved.
29-year-old Scott W. Zalduondo and 26-year-old Miranda N. Laing were booked at Volusia County Jail on Wednesday, 3 days after the alleged abuse took place at the Encore Campgrounds on US 1 near Ormond Beach.
According to the arrest report, the girl’s mother went to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday after discovering redness and bruising to the girl’s thighs and buttocks.
The girl’s mother – identified in the report only as a 28-year-old white woman – told VCSO she first found the redness and bruising on Monday after picking her child up from Zalduondo and Laing’s residence, but she didn’t get really concerned until the redness and bruising got worse the following day.
Per the report, the girl’s mother admitted to VCSO that Zalduondo and Laing were friends and that she had given them permission to discipline her daughter if the girl misbehaved while she was at work.
Deputies who interviewed the girl found “significant contusions” on the girl’s thighs and buttocks, including one shaped like a hand.
The girl also admitted that “Uncle Scott” and “MeMe” hit her with a belt at least 4 times after she spit on Zalduondo and that she was hurting, according to the report.
When questioned, Laing refused to speak to VCSO, but Zalduondo admitted to hitting the girl at least 5 times that day and that he didn’t think it was “excessive” to use the belt since his parents did the same to him when he was 2 years old, per the report.
Zalduondo and Laing were each booked on $10,000 bond on a principal to child abuse charge. As of 7pm Wednesday, Laing had posted bond, while Zalduondo had not.
Scott W. Zalduondo (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
Miranda N. Laing (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
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