Police: Mother forced crushed red pepper into daughter's mouth

A Brownsville mother remains in police custody after witnesses say she lost her temper and stuffed crushed pepper inside the mouth of her 3-year-old daughter before tying her arms with a jacket in response to the child’s temper tantrum, police officials said.

Gloria Martin, 38, was arrested Sunday afternoon at the 77 Flea Market and later charged with injury to a child, said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique.

On Monday morning, Martin went before a municipal judge who set her bond at $5,000 and sent her to Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center.

Once in custody, Martin was placed on a U.S. Border Patrol detainer when it was determined that she didn’t have a legal immigration status, records show.

The arrest took place when three different witnesses called police stating that there was a woman abusing her child, police records show.

"The 3-year-old girl was obviously throwing a tantrum," Manrrique said. "The mother had told her to settle down but the girl wouldn’t stop crying."

After losing her temper, Martin forcibly opened the child’s mouth and stuffed red crushed pepper flakes into the 3-year-old's mouth before forcing it shut, police records show.

"The child obviously started screaming even more, started thrashing around in pain because of the red peeper," Manrrique said.

Martin grabbed the child and placed her in between her legs before using a jacket to tie down her harms very tightly, police said.

Witnesses quickly called police and several off duty police officers who were stationed at the flea market rushed to help the child and arrest Martin, records show.

"The jacket was tied so tight that police officers had a hard time untying the child," Manrrique said.

The child was not injured and was released to the custody of her father, police said.