JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Update: This story has been updated with Mitchell's booking photo and details from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's arrest report.
A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office employee who was a school crossing guard was arrested on a "child abuse without great bodily harm" charge, according to a news release from the agency.
JSO says Theresa Mitchell was arrested after the sheriff's office learned that she was allegedly involved in an incident this past Friday on Feb. 16, 2024. She was arrested during the Florida Department of Children and Families' investigation into the incident, the release states.
According to the arrest report, officers were notified of a "nasty bruise" on a child's face. The report said a child was beaten with a wooden stick on the arm for not filling the refrigerator with soda, the report said, and they attempted to block it causing Mitchell to strike the child's face. Another witness said Mitchell struck her on the legs five times with a wooden stick for skipping a tutoring class, the report said.
Mitchell was employed with JSO for three years since August 2020, and is no longer employed with the agency, according to the release.
The Department of Children & Families' abuse hotline is 1-800-962-2873. If you suspect or know of a child or adult that is in immediate danger, call 911.