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Police: Woman accused of letting son beat up friend's child says boy deserved it

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A Daytona Beach mother that left her 10-year-old in the care of a friend said she was shocked to hear the way he was treated when she retrieved a voice message from the boy.

Cari Davis said she left her son in the care of Dawn Susanne Lake, 48, at Lake's Cascade Terrace home on Sunday.

Davis said she went to the store and returned to the home, finding her son outside, huddled behind a garbage can.

Lake said Davis' child was fighting with her 9-year-old son, kicking him while he was on the ground, so she separated the two.

Later in the evening, Davis said she recovered a message on her cellphone made by her son while at Lake's home.

In the message, Davis' son could be heard pleading for someone to get off of him and exclaiming, "I didn't do anything!"and "Please, no!"

Davis' son told investigators that during the time of the call, Lake's son repeatedly kicked and punched him on the ground while Lake encouraged the beating and demeaned the victim.

Lake could be heard on the message saying, "Come on… punch him! " She can also be heard saying to the victim, "You don't like it, do you? (My son) had enough of your (expletive) and beat the (expletive) out of you!"

Officers found the 10-year-old suffered a black eye, a laceration on his temple and two golf ball-sized lumps on his forehead.

When officers questioned Lake, she admitted to encouraging her child's attack, adding, "(Her son) needed to get his ass kicked."

Lake was arrested for aggravated child abuse and for violating her probation.