BATON ROUGE - A man accused of beating an 11-year-old boy unconscious and a woman who allegedly told the man to "beat his ass" were arrested for cruelty to juveniles.Shantia Thomas, 35, and Eric Washington, 40, were charged Tuesday with second-degree cruelty to juveniles, according to their bill of information. Thomas was arrested June 12, while Washington was arrested July 1.According to an arrest warrant from the Baton Rouge Police Department, officials were called to McClelland Drive in reference to the battery of a juvenile. Witnesses on scene said that Washington struck the child in the face and body with a closed fist. Officials said that when police arrived, Washington and Thomas fled the scene.The victim told police that he had gotten into a fight with another juvenile on June 10. Thomas whipped him on the hands with a belt before hitting him with a closed fist on his shoulder and back, he told police.Later, Thomas picked up her boyfriend, Washington, from work. The victim left the apartment and attempted to run away when Washington hit him several times before striking him with a closed fist. Thomas began yelling at Washington to "beat his ass," the document said.When the victim stood next to a brick wall, Thomas forcefully grabbed him and pulled him toward Washington, the arrest warrant said. Washington continued to beat the juvenile, striking his left eye with an uppercut.The victim told officials that he begged Thomas to call his father, but she refused. The victim realized he wasn't going to get help from Thomas, so he began to fight back.Afterward, Washington struck the victim in the face and knocked him unconscious, according to the warrant. When the victim woke up, Washington was still beating him and called him a "bitch."Both Washington and Thomas are out on bond.Permalink| Comments ...read more read less