‘It was bad’: Mother accused of beating 8-year-old son with extension cord

CHARLOTTE — A 34-year-old woman has been arrested after police say she severely beat her son with an extension cord.

The incident allegedly occurred Tuesday night.

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According to police, the 8-year-old managed to run away during the beating. He was later found outside without a shred of clothing on.

Neighbor Tyler Mack told Channel 9 that he was outside of his apartment when the little boy approached him. He said he previously didn’t know either of the parties involved.

“He had bruises, black marks, and welts on every inch of his body, neck, arms, back, and legs. It was bad,” Tyler Mack explained. “And I said, ‘No little boy, you can’t live with me. Where is your momma?’ And he took off running.”

That is when Tyler Mack and another neighbor went searching for him.

“I’m like, ‘You seen him?’ And he was like, ‘I thought I was hallucinating,’” Tyler Mack said.

Eventually, they found the child hiding behind one of the apartment buildings. Mack said other neighbors then gathered around to see what they could do to help.

A short while later, the child’s mother, Porsha Mack, was arrested on child abuse charges.

“I feel she needs some time for that; I do. I hate to see anybody locked up; I hate to say that when you see a child like that, it just makes you mad, honestly,” said Tyler Mack.

Tyler Mack, who said he is not related to the suspect, said he had been thinking about the little boy ever since and said he noticed an inner strength that he hopes will help him overcome this incident.

“One thing I noticed about him, he wasn’t crying at all,” Tyler Mack explained. “He was really respectful, really intelligent; he was a smart young man.”

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Police said one of the reasons police arrested Porsha Mack is that her son was outside for at least an hour, and in that time, she made no effort to find him, nor did she call 911 to report him missing.

She was released from jail Wednesday afternoon.

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