Tampa Bay Criminal Defense Lawyer - From tanning to tasered...

By Nick Dorsten, Esq.

From the St. Pete Times website, a woman goes tanning and ends up in jail on child abuse charges...

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A trip to the tanning salon on Thursday led to a 19-year-old woman being Tasered and charged with child abuse.

The accused,19, had an appointment at a tanning salon at 5907 Fourth St. N about 1:30 p.m., St. Petersburg police said. She brought along a 7-month-old girl whom she was caring for, police said, but the salon said she could not take the child with her to the tanning booth. The infant's identity is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times.

The teen took the girl back to her vehicle, police said, and left her inside, alone. Police said the vehicle was left unlocked and running. Witnesses called police.

Two officers said the infant, who was later given to a relative, wasn't strapped into her car seat and had spit up on herself, but was otherwise okay.

The officers found the lady inside the salon, getting a tan. She said her boyfriend was supposed to be in the car watching the infant, police said.

They told her she was under arrest but she refused to place her hands behind her back. She also slapped at the officers' arms (battery of a law enforcement officer), police said, and kept pushing them away.

That's when the officers used a Taser, police said.

The "lady" was arrested on charges of felony child abuse, felony battery on a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence. She was released Friday from the Pinellas County jail after posting $10,150 bail.

Have you or someone you love been arrested for child abuse or battery? Then call the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys today for a free consultation!

For more information, or to speak directly with experienced criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.