Jeriane Alexus Minor, 34, had a domestic dispute with her minor daughter at their 14th Avenue South home just after midnight on August 17. Jeriane called 911 and stated that her daughter was running around the house and slamming doors because her phone had been taken away from her. Officers arrived and spoke with Jeriane, who told them that she confiscated her daughter’s phone after she had been screaming and misbehaving for hours. Jeriane then went on to explain that she initially “beat” her daughter with a belt and told her to go to bed. However, her daughter did not calm down and grabbed her sister’s phone even though she was not allowed to. Jeriane stated that her sister began to cry after her daughter grabbed her sister’s phone. Afterward, Jeriane said that she told her daughter several times to stop screaming and go to sleep in the living room. Jeriane then grabbed a wrench and smashed her daughter’s phone as punishment. Jeriane told officers that this made her daughter even angrier and she attacked her. Jeriane said she thought her daughter was going to attack her, so she punched her in the face once. Her daughter responded by clenching her fists and pretending to fight Jeriane. Jeriane then said her son tried to hold her daughter back to keep them away from each other. Afterward, Jeriane mentioned that her boyfriend, Ronald Pillo, was present during the incident but was unaware of his actions. Pillo tried to take the phone away from her daughter after she tried to leave the house with it. Jeriane added that she grabbed her daughter’s shirt as she was leaving the house and tried to take her phone. After her daughter left, Jeriane locked the door so she couldn’t go back in. Jeriane told police she eventually opened the door to her daughter because she was screaming outside and was afraid of waking her neighbors. Jeriane said she then called 911.

Subsequently, officers spoke to Jeriane’s son, who agreed with his mother’s version. He stated that he stopped his sister from attacking his mother. He added that Jeriane hit his sister with her fist and not with the wrench she was holding. After that, police spoke to Jeriane’s daughter, who stated that she and her brother had argued but Jeriane only scolded her. Then Jeriane’s daughter said that after the argument, she went to her room. She added that her mother came to her bedroom and started arguing with her before taking the phone away from her. Jeriane’s daughter said that her mother told her to lie down but she went outside for forty minutes instead. Then Jeriane’s daughter told officers that after she came back from outside, she wanted to use the TV. However, she explained that she had to use a phone as a remote control because the TV remote control was not working. Jeriane’s daughter stated that she then used her sister’s phone, which caused her sister to cry and tell her mother. Afterward, she said Jeriane hit her with a belt about four times. She noted that this left visible marks on her right wrist, left bicep, and right thigh. She added that Jeriane then told her to sleep on the couch. Jeriane’s daughter stated that she started arguing with her brother again, and Jeriane damaged her phone as punishment. Then, Jeriane’s daughter said, she went out to the porch for about three minutes. She stated that when she came back inside, Jeriane hit her in the face three times. Jeriane’s daughter added that her mother was holding something in her fist and part of it was slapped on her face during the beating. She went into detail, stating that she was hit once in the left eye, once in the right eye, and then in the mouth. Officers noted bruising, redness and swelling consistent with her statement that she had been struck with a belt and Jeriane’s fist. When NFD paramedics arrived to evaluate Jeriane’s daughter, they decided it would be best if she went to the hospital. Jeriane then agreed to take her daughter to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, saying she would rather sleep than accompany her. Officers were advised to arrest Minor and contact DCS to ensure a guardian was present for the juveniles. Minor was later taken into custody on August 19 on charges of child abuse.

Jeriane Alexus Minor, of 14th Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee, was booked into the Metro Nashville Jail on August 19 and charged with child abuse. She is free on $1,500 bail.

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