Florida man allegedly screamed obscenities, struck child 50 times with belt over missing couch cushion

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a couple after a 42-year-old man allegedly beat a child for nearly half an hour over a displaced couch cushion.

According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 7, officials allege Lance Rachel Sr. became upset about a missing cushion and accused a child of lying. Rachel allegedly punished the juvenile by “screaming obscenities and physically abusing the victim over the course of 28 minutes.”

Rachel reportedly hit the juvenile with a belt over 50 times, choked him, and called him “disparaging names and other obscenities.” The sheriff’s office alleges Rachel also threatened to break the victim’s jaw. Some of the abuse was captured on home surveillance cameras.

Detectives interviewed Rachel on Dec. 16 and arrested him on charges of aggravated child abuse and battery by strangulation. The suspect’s wife, Kimberly Rachel, was arrested on a charge of failure to report child abuse. They remain held in the Osceola County Jail. Authorities did not disclose the relationship between the suspects and the victim.

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