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Mother charged after son allegedly beaten by boyfriend

Sheriff's officials said that on August 7, detectives with the Union County Sheriff's Office arrested Penny Michelle West, 34, of Helms Pond Road. She was charged with one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of contributing to the neglect of a child, the sheriff's office said.

West was given a $2,000 unsecured bond and has an initial court date of September 2, 2009.

This arrest is related to an alleged assault on Aug. 4 in which West's boyfriend, Michael Ray Price, was charged with using his fists to beat West's 3-year-old son, sheriff's officials said.

Sheriff's officials said the charges on West are based on evidence that she knew that her young son was in a dangerous environment and was being abused by Price and did nothing to protect him.

The alleged beating took place around 2 a.m. Aug. 4 where the child lives with his mother on Helms Pond Road.

Michael Ray Price, 23, was charged with assault on a child under 12, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and intentional child abuse. 

According to the Monroe Police Department, the victim's older brother witnessed the attack and told his mother who was in a nearby room. 

Price fled the scene before cops arrived, police said in a written press release.
 
The child suffered a broken nose, facial cuts and bruises during the assault. 

He was transferred to the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte.

Police caught Price without incident later Tuesday morning.  He has a court date scheduled for  October 7.  He is being held in the Union County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond.