Crime & Safety
Mother Filmed 4-Year-Old Daughter Fighting, Charged: Police
In a video, viewers can hear parents laughing as a small girl scream in pain.

AUSTIN, TX — Three people are being charged with child endangerment after encouraging young children to fight and filming it. In the disturbing videos, children can be seen and heard screaming in pain while a mother laughs.
Jennifer Sanchez, 19, is the mother of the 4-year-old girl encouraged to fight in the videos. The young girl's father notified the police on Aug. 12, according to KVUE, after Sanchez had sent the videos to his mother.
Sanchez's mother, Joann Sanchez, 37, is the mother of other girls encouraged to fight. KVUE reported that she allegedly told police she was teaching her child "to defend herself from bullies at school by allowing her to fight."
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(Editor's note: the videos, which may be disturbing to some, can be found in the link above.)
One video depicts several kids on a trampoline. At one point, one girl begins dragging another by her hair on the trampoline, causing her to scream in pain while the parents laugh. A voice, presumably that of Jennifer Sanchez, can be heard saying "fight back, fight back!"
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The second video takes place in the living room of a residence police say, according to KVUE. It shows two girls slapping and hitting each others' heads, and at one point a pair of arms, belonging to an adult, can be seen pushing one of the girls towards the other.
Article image: Joann Sanchez, Jennifer Sanchez, Tommy Cruz via Austin Police Department
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