Mom Says She Slapped 13-Month-Old Baby Taken by Flight Attendant Because It Kicked Her

Aug. 17, 2010 — -- The mother whose 13-month-old daughter was taken away by a flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines flight told police she slapped the child because it kicked her and she was trying to teach the child that kicking is wrong, according to a police report.

When Albuquerque police officer Dana Baldwin asked the mom about the slapping after the flight, she told her, "I haven't done anything wrong with my child. I popped her when she kicked me and that was it," according to Baldwin's written statement on the report.

The mother, Lee Ann Cid, told Baldwin, the assisting officer at the scene, that she only hit her child lightly on the leg to get her to stop kicking and crying.

"She's done this before when she gets tired and she'll slap me in/toward my face and stuff," Cid said, according to Baldwin's report. "I think it's because she saw my nephew do it. He slapped my sister in the face and I guess she thinks it's OK. And I'm trying to teach her that it's not. And if she continues to kick because she saw him do it, it makes it OK. And the only reason I popped her is so she knows it's not. 'Cause when she's screaming and she can't hear me say no, that's the only way I can get her to stop."

Nevertheless, flight attendant Beverly McCurley took custody of the baby girl after the incident on Monday, the Albuquerque International Sunport police told ABC News on Tuesday.

When the plane landed in Albuquerque, the family was met by police. A Southwest Airlines spokeswoman told ABC News the local authorities were called "out of precaution for the child."

The parents were questioned by police and released to continue to their final destination.

According to the report from Albuquerque police, the parents, Lee Ann and Joseph Cid, were arguing on the flight, trying to get their 13-month-old daughter to stop crying, when McCurley intervened.

"She informed me several passengers had reported that a female subject traveling with a baby and her husband had been observed striking the child on the face in an attempt to get the child to stop crying," wrote the reporting officer, Sgt. Ernesto Rojas, who responded with Baldwin to the scene.

"McCurley further stated she walked to the rear of the aircraft and observed the mother of the child identified as Lee Ann Cid strike the child with an open hand on the face in an attempt to get the child to stop crying. McCurley further stated the mother appeared agitated with the child and that the husband continued to yell at his wife to shut up due to her screaming at the child."

According to the police report, McCurley said the child had a black eye, but the parents blamed that on an uncle's dog.

"McCurley then stated she took the child from the mother due to her behavior and walked to the rear of the aircraft with the child identified as a 13-month-old female," said Rojas' statement. "McCurley then stated the father identified as Joseph C. Cid walked back to the rear of the aircraft, took custody of the child and stood on the rear of the aircraft until the child fell asleep."