A tourist has been charged with child abuse after she was accused of manhandling a teenager — which allegedly involved leaving nail marks in the child’s arm — in order to get a better view at a Disney World parade.
Martha Lucia Zapata-Echeverri was arrested after she was accused of grabbing a 17-year-old girl, leaving “nail marks” on the teen at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Monday, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) affidavit obtained by People.
The teenager reportedly told authorities she “was standing on the sidewalk of ‘Main Street’ in front of the castle, preparing to watch the parade.”
The 51-year-old suspect, who was born in Colombia and is a citizen of Spain, allegedly “put her hand on [the teen] ‘trying to make space,'” to which the girl reacted by telling Zapata-Echeverri, in Spanish, “not to touch her,” the affidavit continues.
After that, the Colombian native allegedly “grabbed [the teen] by the arm and pulled her to the side, causing a bruise and abrasion on her right arm,” the affidavit adds.
Zapata-Echeverri, meanwhile, told deputies she was simply wading through the crowd behind her daughter to get to the front for a better view of the parade, claiming that the teen was the one who pushed her, saying it was “her spot.”
When asked how the girl ended up with nail marks on her arm, Zapata-Echeverri reportedly offered authorities an unclear explanation, and instead “just pantomimed her ‘pushing,'” the affidavit states.
The sheriff’s office noted that the teenager was the only individual to receive injuries as a result of the alleged altercation.
“Martha knowingly and willfully touched [the teen],” the affidavit reads, adding that the suspect “committed the intentional act of grabbing or pushing which was reasonable to cause some type of injury.”
Moreover, “a small abrasion and bruise” was found on the 17-year-old’s arm, authorities said.
So far, no video footage or independent witnesses of the incident have turned up.
During her first court appearance on Tuesday, her attorney said Zapata-Echeverri arrived in the United States on July 2 on a tourist visa and is scheduled to fly back to Spain on Wednesday, July 23, according to a report by WESH.
A judge has since reduced Zapata-Echeverri’s bond to $2,500, adding that the suspect is now banned from all of Disney’s properties.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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