Estes released Duclos-Simpson on her recognizance provided she refrain from further abuse of the child, signs a waiver allowing the Department of Children and Families to remain in contact with the Department of Probation on this matter and follows any service plans DCF generates. According to police, DCF was notified on May 14, after day care staff noted marks on the child's back.
DCF workers asked the child how she had received the injuries and were told that her mother had struck her with a hanger the night before. Duclos-Simpson told investigators she was awoken by the victim and her brother making noise in the house about a. Duclos-Simpson told police she disciplined the children by striking each of them across the buttocks once with a belt before sending them back to bed.
Duclos-Simpson told investigators she disciplines the children with a belt and showed them where it was, hanging in a closet in the kitchen area, according to court files. Police spoke with the male child who told police his mother had hit his sister with a shoe because they were being loud, but did not mention a belt or hanger.
The male child told DCF workers, in addition to shoes, he and his sister get hit with belts, sticks and hangers. The girl pointed out the hanger with which she said she was hit to DCF workers, according to court records and said she was hit with it hard enough to break it and she cried and told investigators no one loved her.
The child told DCF interviewers she couldn't talk about her injury because her mother would spank her, according to court records.
