Mom brings son, 7, to bus stop to fight boy — then she beats up boy's 13-year-old brother who was protecting him, cops say

A 25-year-old mother brought her 7-year-old son to a school bus stop in Memphis to fight a boy his age — and then the mother beat up the boy's 13-year-old brother, who was protecting his sibling, police said.

What are the details?

Memphis police said a 13-year-old boy and his 7-year-old brother were waiting at a bus stop to go to middle school on December 1, 2023, when 25-year-old Rniya Criss pulled up with her 7-year-old son, WHBQ-TV reported.

Criss wanted her son to fight the 13-year-old boy's younger brother, police told the station.

But the 13-year-old boy intervened and said “his brother wasn’t going to fight anyone,” the Charlotte Observer reported, citing police.

Police said Criss then hit the 13-year-old boy in the face, WHBQ said. The victim said she also kicked him in the neck, WREG-TV reported. The victim soon fell to the ground, and he was left with a bruise on his eye and an injured neck, WHBQ added.

Police told WMC-TV the victim's father flagged down an officer regarding his son being assaulted at a Douglass Middle School bus stop.

According to the Observer, the family wanted to prosecute, adding that police said the siblings identified the woman from a lineup. A warrant was issued Dec. 8, the paper said, adding that records show she was arrested Wednesday.

Criss was booked Wednesday in the Shelby County Jail on charges of assault-bodily harm and child abuse and neglect, jail records state. WHBQ said the charges are misdemeanors.

WREG said Criss was scheduled to go before a judge Thursday. Jail records indicate she posted a $5,000 bond Thursday.

How are people reacting?

Several hundred comments were posted to Yahoo News, which published WREG's story about the incident — and people were understandably disgusted:

• "You can't make this stuff up," one commenter stated. "Kudos to the older brother for protecting his sibling. I hope he's not badly injured."
• "This woman's son has no shot in life with trash like this for a parent. 7 years old? I have an 8- and 13-year-old. This is incredibly sad," another commenter said. "The 13-year-old was very brave and quite the hero to protect his little brother and the only one with any sense in this story."
• "There should be an exam for participation in society," another commenter quipped.

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