Bradenton man charged with hitting child with belt

A Bradenton man was charged Aug. 31 with hitting a child with a belt and causing her bruising, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report.

Juan Mateo Tzaquitzal, 36, was arrested at 4 p.m. Aug. 31. The location of his arrest was redacted from the report. According to the sheriff’s office, at 8 p.m. Aug. 30, Tzaquitzal hit a child, causing bruises on her arms and buttocks. The child told deputies that the bruises were from being hit with a belt more than 10 times.

Tzaquitzal in an interview first denied all allegations and then said he hit the victim about five times with a belt as discipline for not coming home after school. According to the sheriff’s office report, Tzaquitzal said he was so upset “he just exploded.”

Tzaquitzal was charged with child abuse and released the following day from Manatee County jail on $2,000 bond.

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Bradenton man charged with hitting child with belt."