Bluffton woman faces abuse charges after child reports incident to school, police say
A Bluffton woman was released on bond Tuesday after being accused of abusing a child in her care, according to the Bluffton Police Department.
Rosa Benavides-Mira, 30, of Bluffton, was charged with unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person Monday, jail records show.
The preteen reported to Beaufort County School District officials that Benavides-Mira hit them several times on Nov. 1 as part of a punishment, according to a warrant from the Beaufort County Clerk of Courts Office. The child had several injuries to their back, arms and thighs.
The child reported it to school officials on Nov. 4, and Benavides-Mira met with officers at the Law Enforcement Center on Progressive Street Monday, according to Sgt. Bonifacio Perez, a Bluffton Police Department spokesperson. When she got there, he said, she did not want to talk to police without a lawyer and was charged.
The child was taken into emergency protective custody and removed from the home. It was unclear Wednesday whether two other children who live at the home also were taken into protective custody.
The investigation is ongoing though police are not seeking further charges, Perez said.
Benavides-Mira was released Tuesday on a $10,000 bond. She was released Tuesday from the Beaufort County Detention Center, and information on her attorney was not immediately available.
To report suspected child abuse or abuse of a vulnerable adult in the Beaufort County area, call the South Carolina Department of Social Services Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline at 1-88-227-3487.
