Minnesota mom gets 15 days for allegedly punching girl

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A South St. Paul woman convicted of punching her 8-year-old daughter at school has been sentenced to 15 days in jail.

A judge on Wednesday ordered 27-year-old Socorro Eaton to report to the Ramsey County workhouse on Dec. 27. A jury convicted her in October of gross misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child.

A St. Paul Pioneer Press report (http://bit.ly/skrU8b ) says the case arose from an incident June 14 at Bruce Vento Elementary School.

Prosecutors say the mother and daughter disagreed over whether the girl needed to bring art supplies to school. When Eaton found out the girl was wrong, she allegedly called the girl a liar and punched her chest with a closed fist.

Defense attorney Leah Morgan says Eaton is cooperating with child-protection workers and a psychological evaluator.

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