A Waldorf woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for first-degree child abuse following a violent attack on a 7-year-old girl last year.
Renee Daytona Roberts, 45, pleaded guilty on March 13 to first-degree child abuse resulting in severe injury, according to Charles County State’s Attorney Tony Covington.
The charges stem from a January 8, 2024, incident outside a Patient First medical facility in Waldorf. Witnesses saw Roberts lift the child over her head and slam her onto the concrete in the parking lot. Bystanders intervened, restraining Roberts until officers arrived. The child was placed in a car for safety before being taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with two skull fractures and a brain bleed.
While being arrested, Roberts bit three officers, according to authorities. Surveillance footage captured the attack, and Roberts later admitted she assaulted the child because she was unable to remember a religious prayer in full.
During sentencing, prosecutors emphasized the severity of the attack, calling it “unimaginable.” Judge H. James West described the case as deeply tragic and sentenced Roberts to 25 years in prison, suspending all but 15 years, followed by five years of supervised probation.
