This week, a mother from Florida found herself in serious trouble after slapping her young son during an Instacart delivery. The incident was caught on surveillance footage outside a St. Augustine apartment complex, where Kia Rowley, 36, could be heard yelling at her six-year-old child, using slurs while insisting he “take” the delivery with her.
“Fuck, damn,” she could be heard complaining in the footage. “You’re carrying this damn water.”
In a troubling moment, Rowley gave her son a hefty 24-pack of bottled water, stating, “I didn’t mean to hurt him.” The boy soon struggled under the weight, expressing that it was “too heavy” for him to manage.
According to police reports, he weighed only 49 pounds, which meant the 26-pound water pack was a significant burden for him.
Overwhelmed, he exclaimed, “Oh! I can’t stand it!” before dropping the case, which tore open and spilled on the floor.
Attempting to escape, the boy was grabbed by Rowley, who then slapped him in the face while saying, “You’re the worst. You’re the worst,” as she held his weeping head.
She continued berating him, declaring, “I’m telling you, you’re an asshole,” and insisted he get back to work, saying, “You’re carrying something.”
An Instacart customer witnessing the scene alerted authorities about this “violent interaction” on the same day it occurred.
Rowley was charged with child abuse stemming from the incident on May 31. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office reported that her actions had “created a serious imbalance” in the boy’s life, indicating he was clearly unable to manage the weight and faced reprimand for it.
When questioned, Rowley supposedly described her son’s behavior as “rebellious” while fulfilling three orders at the complex. She later expressed regret, attributing her actions to an “overstimulated moment.”
Rowley was taken to St. Johns County Jail, where her bail was set at $5,000. She was also instructed to avoid any contact with her child and maintain a distance of at least 500 feet.
At the time, Instacart had not provided any immediate comment regarding the situation.
