Mother Charged with Domestic Battery after Child Assault at South Bend Zoo

Angel Shidaker, a 41-year-old South Bend woman, has been charged with multiple counts of domestic battery after allegedly assaulting her 4-year-old child at the Potawatomi Zoo. Police responded to reports of the assault, finding Shidaker and the child in a zoo restroom, where Shidaker admitted to slapping her child and claimed the child, described as a runner, had fallen after running away. Witnesses reported seeing Shidaker slam the child to the ground, wrap a harness around the child's neck, and verbally abuse the child, including telling the child to "shut the hell up" while hitting them. Police observed physical signs of injury on the child, including dirt on the arms and legs, red spots on the head, and potential swelling and bruising near the temple. Shidaker was arrested and is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail awaiting further court proceedings. The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office has filed felony charges related to domestic battery involving a child under 14 years old.