Woman accused of punching daughter in face

Cathy Aikens charged with child abuse

LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Police in Lauderhill on Monday arrested a woman accused of punching her 17-year-old daughter in the face.

Police charged 36-year-old Cathy Aikens with child abuse.

Aikens got into a fight with her daughter and punched her, according to an arrest affidavit. The girl said the fight began after she paused a movie her mother wanted to see so she could cook dinner for her younger cousin.

"I was scared. I didn't even know what to do. I didn't even see it coming. I was stunned that she was doing this," the girl told Local 10. "I just couldn't believe that it was happening."

A neighbor called police. Aikens' daughter refused treatment and didn't provide a sworn statement or allow police to photograph her injuries.

"I know that, yes, I was the victim, but also she's my mom," said the girl.

Aikens' daughter, who lives with her grandmother, said her mother suffers from schizophrenia.

"It hurt me. I don't want none of that because that's my daughter," said Mary Ann Aikens, the girl's grandmother. "I really want her to get help."