Woman Using Marijuana Choked A Child, Burned Her Father With Hot Pocket

A woman was arrested and charged for choking a child and physically attacking several family members in Horry County, South Carolina. Local police reportedly responded to the incident Sunday night that took place at Murrells Inlet, a village in the county.

Rebecca Elizabeth Silver, 30, was charged with unlawful neglect of a child, two counts of resisting arrest, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and simple assault, according to media reports Tuesday.

Silver, who was reportedly smoking marijuana, had an argument with her family at her home Sunday night. A short while after the argument, Silver started preparing Hot Pockets. Suddenly, she began pushing and hitting an 11-year-old girl who had told Silver's mother the woman had been smoking marijuana while driving. She then allegedly grabbed the child by the throat, and “squeezed so hard it stopped her airway for 5-10 seconds,” Fox-affiliated television station WBRC quoted an official saying.

Police said Silver’s mother heard the commotion and tried to intervene, but the suspect reportedly slapped her in the face. She then hit a 10-year-old boy who was trying to push her off the grandmother. Silver eventually went back to the Hot Pocket and threw it at her father’s face, burning his nose, a local report said.

It remained unclear how Silver was related to the children. The report said Silver was from Bennington, Vermont, and was in Murrells Inlet on a family vacation.

Following the incident, she left the residence before police arrived at the scene. Authorities found the woman a few blocks away at a convenience store “drinking with some local homeless men.” During the arrest, police reportedly found marijuana, pipes and drug paraphernalia inside her purse.

Silver was being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on $22,000 bond.

In another incident earlier this month, a St. Cloud, Minnesota, woman was charged for allegedly beating and choking a 10-year-old boy. Leah Marie Au hit the boy repeatedly on the arms and back and also choked him while pushing the boy to the ground. The 31-year-old was charged in Stearns County District Court with domestic assault by strangulation, a felony and a gross misdemeanor count of malicious punishment of a child. The relation between the woman and the child remained unclear. Au was in custody and her bail was set at $15,000. Her next court hearing was set for May 31.