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A Pittsfield woman was being held in jail Monday after police arrested her for assaulting her 9-year-old son. 

The 37-year-old woman, who the Morning Sentinel is not identifying because of the nature of the allegations, is charged with Class B aggravated assault and Class D endangering the welfare of a child, court records show.

She made an initial court appearance Monday afternoon in Skowhegan and a judge set bail at $5,000 cash, jail records show.

She did not enter pleas as the assault charge is felony-level, so prosecutors must first seek an indictment from a grand jury.

The woman, who was being held at the Somerset County Jail in Madison, is due back in court in Skowhegan on Aug. 19. Attorney information was not listed for her in court records Monday afternoon.

Pittsfield police responded Saturday to a report of child abuse from a man who reported he had been staying at the woman’s house and the woman had assaulted her son a few nights prior, according to an affidavit from Officer Stephen “Dan” Armiger filed in court.

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The woman’s husband told Armiger that something happened and the boy had marks on his face, but he was unsure of how to handle the situation, the affidavit states.

The woman told Armiger she was intoxicated the night of the alleged assault, the affidavit says. She also told him she realized she had done something to the child and had been feeling suicidal.

Armiger interviewed the boy, separate from his parents, and he described an assault lasting approximately 20 minutes in which his mother picked him up, threw him, beat his face and held her hand over his mouth, according to the affidavit. Armiger also photographed marks and bruises on the boy’s face.

Armiger noted he contacted the state’s child protective services division and made a referral to that agency.

The Morning Sentinel is not identifying the child as he is a minor and because the newspaper’s policy is not to identify alleged victims of domestic assaults without their permission.

IF YOU NEED HELP 

IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911.

FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].

OTHER Maine resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other issues can be found by calling 211.

Jake covers public safety, courts and immigration in central Maine. He started reporting at the Morning Sentinel in November 2023 and previously covered all kinds of news in Skowhegan and across Somerset...

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