Woman arrested for allegedly whipping teenager with a belt, causing ‘major’ wound

IDAHO FALLS — A 43-year-old woman was charged with a felony after a 17-year-old reported she had been beaten with a belt.

Alejandra Adriana Molina-Perez was charged with felony injury to a child, misdemeanor injury to a child and misdemeanor violation of a domestic violence protection order.

On Saturday, around 6:50 p.m., an Idaho Falls Police officer was dispatched to a home after a report of child abuse.

According to court documents, the reporting party stated they had received emails from the 17-year-old victim.

The emails from the victim said Molina-Perez “dragged me inside by my hair, she broke my (expletive) claw clip and then slammed m(e) on the (expletive) couch with all her force by my hair and proceeded to (expletive) take her belt and literally beat me w it…i have a BIG a** bruise on my arm bro…”

The victim also sent photos of the injuries. Police reports say “of major concern is a large contusion on her upper left arm” that stretched from “the bottom (of) the shoulder to the middle triceps area.”

The wound was a “black and purple color covering a large portion of her skin.” There were also reportedly “several other contusions on (the victim’s) body, including another large group across her lower back/torso to the thigh/waist area.”

Officers also learned there was an active no-contact order against Molina-Perez that was protecting the victim and her family. Molina-Perez was not supposed to be at the victim’s home.

When they arrived at the victim’s home, officers were told Molina-Perez and the victim were not there.

They then got a call from the reporting party, who said she received another email from the victim, saying she was at the home with Molina-Perez but “had been told to be quiet because the police were present.”

Eventually, Molina-Perez and the victim came out of a back bedroom, and officers, along with child protective services, began to conduct interviews with everyone at the home.

According to the victim, Molina-Perez was at the home when she arrived on Thursday night, and the two began arguing.

Molina-Perez reportedly “grabbed her by the back of her hair to pull her inside of the residence.” She then took her to the back of the couch inside the living room, took off a belt, and “grabbed it by the buckle and used it to whip (the victim).”

Child protective services took photos of the injuries, and police interviewed the victim’s guardian. He told police he was in his bedroom with another child but said he “was not aware of any physical altercation between (the victim) and (Molina-Perez).”

Later, he admitted to police that the commotion “woke him up and that there was a belt involved.” He told police the noise of the belt woke him up.

According to police reports, another child in the home later told the officer he had seen Molina-Perez “standing over (the victim), hold(ing) the belt, and whipping her.” The child said it was “upsetting and happens frequently” and said he, too, had been hit with a belt by Molina-Perez.

Officers then spoke to Molina-Perez, who only speaks Spanish, so another officer was asked to translate. According to police, Molina-Perez said she yelled and “berated” the victim during an argument.

She admitted to grabbing the victim’s hair and threatening her with a belt. She told police she “whipped the belt but struck the side of the furniture where (the victim) was sitting.”

Molina-Perez was then arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. An order of removal was obtained for the two children in the home, and they were given to Child Protective Services for emergency placement.

Molina-Perez was booked on a bond of $25,000 and a no-contact order was issued. She is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on June 12.

If convicted, she could face up to 12 years in prison and $61,000 in fines.

Though Molina-Perez has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.