Bradenton woman found guilty of punching daughter

MANATEE -- A jury Friday found a Bradenton woman guilty of one count of child abuse for hitting her daughter in the mouth several times with a shoe and then slamming her to the ground.

Samantha Shadonna Williams, 28, was found guilty, after a jury deliberated for about two hours, according to Assistant State Attorney Alexandra Crittenden.

"We really appreciated the jury carefully considering all of the testimony and the evidence, but specifically considering the two children that testified," she said after the verdict was announced.

At 8:27 a.m. Jan. 7, 2015, Williams arrived at a RaceTrac, 5410 14th St. W., Bradenton, with her two children so the children's grandparents could take them to school while she continued to work in Sarasota, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

The victim, who Crittenden said was 12 at the time, was upset because she had to go to school with her hair not done, a report states. The victim's sibling was 8 at the time of the incident.

"She (Williams) got angry at her child in front of their grandparents and her youngest child," the attorney said.

According to a report, Williams hit the child in the mouth a couple times with her hand, then hit her with her shoe. Williams then pulled the child out of the van and slammed her on the ground. While the victim was on the ground, deputies said Williams started punching her.

The victim suffered a busted and swollen lip.

"We're just happy with the verdict and that we were able to give a voice to two children that were in a volatile environment," Crittenden said.

The two children are with their fathers, the attorney said.

Williams is set to be sentenced by Judge Susan Maulucci at 9 p.m. Aug. 5.

Amaris Castillo, law enforcement/island reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7051. Follow her on Twitter@AmarisCastillo.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Bradenton woman found guilty of punching daughter ."