A 51-year-old tourist at Walt Disney World was charged with child abuse after allegedly "manhandling" a teenager to get a better view of a parade.
The suspect, identified as Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri, was said to have grabbed a 17-year-old girl during a brawl at Disney's Magic Kingdom. The latter said she was simply "standing on the sidewalk of 'Main Street' in front of the castle" waiting for the parade.
Disney Tourist Charged With Child Abuse
The Colombian mom then allegedly put her hand on the teenage girl to try to make space. The latter then asked the 51-year-old, in Spanish, "not to touch her." But the tourist, who was with her daughter at the time, blamed the teen for starting the fight, claiming she pushed into her and said that it was "her spot."
However, the mother was not able to provide a clear reason for how the teenage girl got the nail marks. The tourist was left uninjured by the altercation that occurred at around 9:40 p.m. and ended with deputies forcing the two parties apart, according to the New York Post.
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The Colombian mother was said to have arrived in the United States on a tourist visa on July 2 and was scheduled to fly back to Spain on Wednesday. For now, her bond was reduced from $5,000 to $2,500, and she has been banned from Disney properties.
An affidavit said that the detained tourist "knowingly and wilfully" touched the teenage girl, adding she committed the intentional act of grabbing or pushing. So far, authorities said that there does not seem to be any independent witnesses or surveillance footage of the altercation between the two parties.
Pleading Not Guilty
Zapata-Echeverri's lawyer, Bryan Farinas, said that his client pleaded not guilty to the charge of child abuse against the teenager. The latter added that while they respect the investigative process, they believe this is a situation that has been significantly "mischaracterized," Telegraph reported.
The lawyer said that based on the information they have reviewed, the Colombian mother was confronted and physically pushed by the alleged teen victim. He added that they are confident that after all the facts of the case have been evaluated, it will be clear that Zapata-Echeverri had no criminal intent and is innocent of abusive conduct.
The situation comes as both the defendant and the victim have contrasting retellings of what exactly happened at the time of the incident, as per the Independent.
