LAWRENCE — Martin Romero told police he had "a rough day" at work before whipping his 8-year-old stepdaughter with a belt, leaving red welts all over her back.
Romero, 27, was arrested last night at his Spruce Street home after a teacher and school nurse reported the suspected abuse earlier in the day.
Romero also told police he has lately become concerned about the girl's poor behavior.
Romero was being held overnight at the Lawrence police station on $5,000 cash bail and was due to be arraigned in Lawrence District Court today. He was charged with assault and battery on a family or household member, assault and battery on a child under 14 causing bodily injury, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
"That's not discipline; that's serious physical abuse," Police Chief John Romero, who is no relation to the defendant, said last night as he looked over the photos of the red marks and bruises on the girl's back.
"The pain that must have been inflicted on that little girl must have been excruciating. It's heart-wrenching for me to think about what she must have gone through," the chief said.
This is the second time in less than a week police have arrested a male household member on charges of beating a young child who wasn't biologically-related.
Thoun Rin, 31, was arrested last Friday on charges of what police described as a "savage" beating of his girlfriend's 9-year-old son.
"It could be coincidental that we have two so close. I don't think it's part of a pattern," Chief Romero said.
"But it's disturbing that we get two cases like this in less than a week. I think it's important to note that these cases came to light because people in authority made proper notification when it was brought to their attention," the chief said.
Police Officer Christopher Cote initiated yesterday's investigation after the state Department of Children and Families requested police check a child abuse report at the Arlington School.
The girl's teacher heard students talking about the bruises on the girl's back. The teacher brought the girl to the nurse's office and school officials contacted the DCF.
Chief Romero confirmed the DCF is working with police on the investigation and that the agency has removed two younger sisters — ages 3 and 11-months — from the home.
The girl told investigators her stepfather got angry with her for taking $100 from her mother's purse to buy a gift for her teacher.
"He then yelled at her for doing so, telling her that stealing is what thieves do and that it is wrong and bad. He also told her she could be taken away for stealing," Officer Cote said the girl told him.
The stepfather went into his bedroom and came back with a belt, hitting her on the back and then warned her not to tell anyone, according to the officer
The girl said her mother was downstairs sleeping but awoke when the girl began crying. The girl said her mother got upset with her stepfather and that her mother put a lotion on her back.
But when questioned by a DCF case worker, the mother denied knowing about the beating and said she had not observed any welts on her daughter's back, according to Officer Cote.
The mother told the DCF case worker that her husband scolded the girl for stealing and that she was sent to bed and slept alone, while her two younger sisters slept in the parents' room.
"At first, she (the mother) could not give any explanations on how her daughter got those marks, but then stated that her daughter fell down some steps inside the house yesterday and that there was a metal piece on the edge of the steps," Officer Cote wrote in his report.
The mother said she didn't witness the accident and didn't look to see if her daughter were injured.
"I then explained to her that the injuries to the back are not from a fall down steps and that they were welt marks with distinct marks of a belt," Officer Cote said.
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