Mother accused of beating 1-year-old son

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - A mother has been charged with beating, punching, and slamming her one-year-old son on the garage floor in a Cobb County home.

Melina Whyte was visiting a home on Heatherwood Drive in unincorporated Marietta on Friday when she apparently attacked her own son.

According to arrest warrants secured by FOX 5 News, the 26-year-old mom said, “I am going to kill this baby” while allegedly punching her own 1-year-old son, lacerating his liver and throwing him on the garage floor. The child's skull was fractured and his liver is lacerated in two places.

Neighbors are stunned.

“Surely the mother must have a lot going on and need help because you don't do that in a sound mind. Something else is going on,” Resident Deborah Bigda remarked.

Cobb County police said Whyte lives out of state and was visiting at the Heatherwood house. Police would not comment on whether Whyte was related to the residents there.

Even more alarming, the arrest warrant stated the attempted murder assault happened in front of Whyte's 7-year-old child.

FOX 5 reporter Aungelique Proctor tried to talk with residents at the home, but someone at the house would not comment and asked the FOX 5 News crew to leave the premises.

The one-year-old's condition is not known, but Cobb County Police said the baby is in the hospital, while Whyte remains in jail facing eight felony counts.