Kayla Oxenham told her children, she “forgot how much she loved fire,” as she seared their skin with a stick.

A 7-year-old told cops her mom also cracked her sisters heads against a wall after she became angry over a cat being locked in a bathroom.

Deputies say the abuse took place in March, but the arrest wasn’t made until this week after daycare workers noticed scars on the children.

"The day care workers did a great job seeing this, reporting it," Port Charlotte, Florida Police Capt. Les Partington told WFTX-TV.

Oxenham told police she branded the kids, so she would be able to recognize them. She also added she did it so the children could have ice cream.

Oxenham is out of jail on bond while waiting to face charges of felony child abuse.

More here.

About the Author

Keep Reading

People are silhouetted against a huge Pride flag before the start of the Atlanta Pride Parade on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal

Featured

Mathew Palmer, a former Delta Air Lines employee, at his home in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.  Palmer was fired less than two weeks after writing a post on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. (Natrice Miller/AJC)