Woman Gets 15 Days For Punching Child At School

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – A South St. Paul mother who was charged in June for beating her daughter at school has been sentenced to one year in prison.

Socorro Eaton, 26, was convicted in Ramsey County Court Wednesday on one count of malicious punishment of a child in connection with the June 14 incident. Eaton will get a stayed sentenced of 350 days over two years and will get credit for time served of three days, and she'll serve two years of probation.

According to a criminal complaint, Eaton dropped off her 8-year-old daughter on June 14 at a St. Paul elementary school on the last day of school. The girl had a bag of art supplies with her, and Eaton asked her teacher if they were needed. The teacher said they were not because it was the last day of school.

Eaton then proceeded to hit her daughter in the face with a closed fist, swear at the girl and call her a "liar," the complaint states. The girl then ran from the classroom, and Eaton yelled at her to come back and told the girl she would beat her in front of the class.

The girl told police she had been beaten by Eaton on multiple occasions, sometimes with a belt, according to the complaint. Eaton told police she beat her child because she lied.