Robert Elderidge, 38, and Ashley Elderidge, 37, face child abuse charges in Cocoa, Florida, after allegedly making their daughter ingest homemade hot sauce despite her allergy. The punishment stemmed from the girl putting ink on the family cat. A school resource officer initiated the investigation after the child reported the abuse.
The case unfolded in Cocoa, a city about 45 miles east of Orlando. On Thursday, the girl informed a school resource officer about the abuse, leading to an interview by a child protection team coordinator. She described being whooped with a belt and wooden spoon, pointing to bruises and welts on her left thigh from her father's strikes with a hand and belt. She said her father hit her 15 times with his hand for putting 'ink on the cat,' which was 'only part of an experiment.' Her mother allegedly made hot sauce from red peppers, onions, and oil, forcing her to swallow a spoonful on 10 occasions despite her allergy. When she resisted, Ashley Elderidge held the girl's nose closed, preventing her from breathing, which caused stomach pain and vomiting, according to the affidavit. A doctor examined the child and noted 'bizarre' physical abuse, including bruises and three long, parallel welts on her back thigh. Robert Elderidge admitted to whooping her, saying he intended to hit her buttocks but struck her legs. Ashley Elderidge confessed to the hot sauce punishment because the girl lied about the ink incident. Both parents were arrested and held at Brevard County Jail on $5,000 bond, with their next court date set for April 7.