Robert Elderidge and Ashley Elderidge (Brevard County Sheriff”s Office).
In a disturbing case from Florida, a man and woman are accused of subjecting their daughter to harsh punishment by forcing her to consume homemade hot sauce, despite her allergy to it. This was allegedly in response to the child having put “ink on the cat.”
Robert Elderidge, 38, and Ashley Elderidge, 37, are facing allegations of child abuse in Cocoa, a town located approximately 45 miles east of Orlando. The case came to light when the young girl confided in a school resource officer about the alleged abuse, prompting an investigation. A child protection team coordinator later interviewed the girl to gather details about the incidents involving her parents.
The girl recounted to authorities that her parents would discipline her using a belt and a wooden spoon. She indicated that she had sustained bruises and welts on her left thigh, inflicted by her father’s hand and belt, as detailed in the arrest affidavit. When asked about the reason for the punishment, she explained it was due to the “ink on the cat,” which she described as part of an experiment. According to the affidavit, she was struck 15 times by hand.
Moreover, the girl revealed that her mother concocted hot sauce using “red peppers, onions, and oil” and forced her to swallow a spoonful despite her allergy. This reportedly happened on 10 different occasions. The complaint further stated that when the child resisted drinking the hot sauce, her mother, Ashley, would allegedly pinch her nose shut, making it difficult for the girl to breathe.
The victim reported that consuming the hot sauce caused her stomach pain and vomiting, underscoring the severity of the alleged mistreatment she endured.
“According to the victim, when she doesn’t want to drink the hot sauce, ‘Ashley’ would hold [the victim’s] nose closed, which prevented her from being able to breathe,” cops wrote. “The victim stated that the hot sauce made her stomach hurt and causes her to vomit.”
A doctor who examined her determined she suffered from “bizarre” physical abuse, according to police. The doctor also found numerous injuries on the victim, including bruises and three “long, parallel welts on her back thigh,” officers wrote.
Cops spoke with Robert Elderidge and he allegedly said that he “whooped her a—.” He claimed he “intended to strike her buttocks but that he struck her legs instead,” the affidavit said. Ashley Elderidge allegedly admitted to feeding the girl hot sauce because she lied about putting the ink on the cat.
Both parents were arrested and taken to the Brevard County Jail, where they remain on a $5,000 bond. Their next court date is set for April 7.
