Margate Woman Arrested for Child Abuse After Allegations of Handcuffing and Repeated Beatings

by Ryan Yousefi March 22, 2025

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Yaima Fernandez {BSO}

A Margate woman has been arrested and charged with child abuse following an investigation by the Department of Children and Families, which uncovered a pattern of physical and emotional abuse, including handcuffing her child to a chair.

According to a Margate Police Department report, Yaima Fernandez, 43, of Margate, was arrested after the victim, her child, disclosed allegations of long-term abuse at her school, prompting an immediate DCF investigation.

The incident report details allegations by the victim that her mother had subjected her to physical and emotional mistreatment for years, including being handcuffed to a chair as punishment for poor grades.

MPD records show the latest incident occurred when Fernandez picked up the victim from school and drove behind a local plaza where she allegedly questioned the victim about her grades before striking her multiple times in the mouth with a closed fist.

The victim further reported that her mother pulled her hair and tightened her seatbelt to prevent her from escaping. She told law enforcement that she attempted to defend herself by pulling her mother’s hair, at which point Fernandez struck her multiple times on the back of the head.

The victim told investigators that such abuse occurred approximately three times per week and sometimes involved household weapons, including a metal rod.

The arrest documents detail that the victim’s grandmother confirmed witnessing the physical abuse. She also told law enforcement that she had to intervene in a prior altercation when Fernandez repeatedly struck the child. The following day, Fernandez allegedly made threats that she would harm them both.

DCF noted visible injuries on the victim, including an injury to the inside of her top lip, slight bruising on her left knee, and bruising on her right knuckle. During an interview with DCF investigators, Fernandez admitted to striking the victim in the mouth multiple times, likely causing the injuries.

Fernandez was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.

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Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.