A Youngstown, Ohio, mother threatened to kill her two children Sunday in a phone call with the children’s father — and officers were on speakerphone listening in, police said.
Speaking to the father of her 1- and 2-year-old over the phone, Zipporah Thompson, 27, said: “Your father don't want y'all and don't care about y’all,” WFMJ reports. Thompson was sending the father video as well, and at points during the recording Thomson began to threaten violence, according to police.
“I'll punch you in the face,” Thompson told her 2-year-old son in the video, WFMJ reports. “Do you want me to punch you in the face?”
Moments later, Thompson pointed the camera at the toddler and punched him in the eye, police said. The child began to cry, WFMJ reports.
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The father had called police already, and they were listening to the exchange over speakerphone, according to the TV station. An officer heard banging sounds “similar to someone hitting something,” then heard a child’s cries, police said.
Police also listened as Thompson threatened to kill the children if their father — her boyfriend — didn’t come pick them up, the Youngstown Vindicator reports. Thompson was arrested around 5 p.m. Sunday after police showed up at her home.
As she was arrested, Thompson banged her head into the police car repeatedly, according to police. Thompson tried to blame the head-banging on an arresting officer, WFMJ reports. Once she was inside the car, she continued to bang her head, police said.
Thompson was booked at the Mahoning County Jail on suspicion of child endangerment, according to online jail records.
County child protective services were called as well, the Vindicator reports.
Emergency responders looked at the children and found they didn’t have serious injuries, WKBN reports.
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