Mother faces jail for assault on child in car park

A women who became the subject of a nationwide hunt in the United States after being caught on a shopping centre surveillance camera pummelling her daughter has been charged with battery.

Madelyne Toogood, 26, gave herself up to police after a videotape showing her slapping, shaking and punching her daughter, Martha, aged four, was broadcast across the country.

Police received more than 1,000 calls about the video, which was first shown last Wednesday. The incident happened on the previous Friday.

She was charged and released on $5,000 (£3,200) bail after presenting herself at a police station in Mishawaka, Indiana, about 80 miles east of Chicago, with her lawyer on Saturday. Prosecutors had requested a $50,000 bond because of her transient history. She could face up to three years in jail.

Martha has been put in the temporary care of foster parents, and Ms Toogood's two sons, aged five and six, are being looked after by their father.

Police hunting Ms Toogood feared the little girl in the pink dress may have been badly injured in what appeared to be a ferocious beating. The tape shows Ms Toogood at first holding Martha by the hand. She places her in the back of her sports utility vehicle, parked in a shopping centre car park, and then sets about her – slapping her, shaking her and punching her in the face more than a dozen times. The child then crawls into a car seat but the beating continues.

Doctors have checked Martha and say she has no signs of serious injury.

"She's safe. We just have to make sure there are not any deeper physical injuries," said Chris Toth, a prosecutor. "She's a sweet, wonderful girl. Physically she looks fine."

Ms Toogood complained the decision to place her child with social services was not fair. "Why is my child paying? It's my fault, so she shouldn't pay for it," she said. Her lawyer, Steven Rosen, said the tape – which shocked America – had been taken out of context. "It was a bad choice, and it was captured on candid camera," he said. "She is a devoted mother. She had never acted out any type of physical violence or mental violence. She is very remorseful. She regrets it."

Mr Rosen said Ms Toogood's family and friends had told him the child was fine.

Authorities said the attack happened after Ms Toogood and her sister, Margaret Daly, left a department store in northern Indiana in a rage because she was refused a cash refund for goods.

The pair had to be escorted out of the store by security guards after an argument over the goods, which may not have been purchased at the store.

Ms Daly has been arrested and charged with failing to report child abuse and with assisting a criminal.

Ms Toogood has an outstanding arrest warrant for theft, issued in Fort Worth, Texas, in April this year.