Man Says He Saw 'Fist Imprint' on Baby During FaceTime Call. Now Mom Is Charged with Child Abuse

A 22-year-old California woman was arrested Sunday and charged with child abuse after a friend allegedly saw a “fist imprint” on her 11-month-old child’s face.

Isaiah Polk told KRCR that he called 911 after having a FaceTime call with his friend Aleesha Ann Allen, during which he allegedly noticed bruises on the face of the woman’s child.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Allen’s Shasta Lake home around 11:15 am to conduct a welfare check on the 11-month-old, per a statement from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

When law enforcement arrived at the home, Allen was in the process of putting the baby into a vehicle. Then, deputies “observed the juvenile and noticed facial injuries that appeared to be deliberately inflicted and consistent with child abuse,” the statement reads.

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Referencing the child’s alleged injuries, Polk told KRCR: “It made me almost want to shed a tear. It was like, man, like… the way his face looked, he didn’t fall off a bed. Like there was a fist imprint.”

Allen was booked into the Shasta County Jail on charges of child abuse with possible great bodily injury/death. She’s been released on her own recognizance and is now prohibited from consuming any alcohol or contacting the alleged victim, per the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office.

She’s also subject to GPS monitoring. Allen’s next scheduled court date is April 8, 2025.

After being examined at a local hospital, the child is being cared for by family members.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.