Mayor Marty Small Sr., 50, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, Dec. 17 for third-degree witness tampering, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. He was already facing an indictment on child abuse-related charges along with Dr. La'Quetta Small, his wife and superintendent of Atlantic City schools.
In the latest indictment, prosecutors said Mayor Small asked his 16-year-old daughter in September to "do him a favor and twist up" her story she previously told police. The mayor urged her to change her claim by saying she tripped and fell when her head was injured.
Mayor Small's daughter accused her parents of violently abusing her several times in December 2023 and January. In one incident, Mayor Small was accused of knocking her unconscious after hitting her several times in the head with a broom.
The mayor was also accused of threatening to hurt his daughter by "earth slamming" her down the stairs, grabbing her head, throwing her to the ground, and "smacking the weave out of her head." Investigators also said in another incident, the mayor bruised his daughter by repeatedly punching her legs.
Dr. Small was accused of punching her daughter multiple times in the chest, which also caused bruises. In another incident, prosecutors said Dr. Small dragged her by her hair and hit her with a belt on her shoulders, leaving marks.
In another argument, Dr. Small was also accused of punching her daughter in the mouth. The special victims unit for the county prosecutor's office investigated the accusations.
The couple was previously indicted for second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Mayor Small was also indicted for third-degree terroristic threats and third-degree aggravated assault.
Back in April, the mayor and Dr. Small also received charges of disorderly persons simple assault. The couple pleaded not guilty to their charges on Thursday, Oct. 10, NBC10 Philadelphia reported.
Atlantic City High School principal Constance Days-Chapman was also implicated in the case. She received an indictment in September after she was accused of trying to cover up the girl's accusations.
Anyone with information about this case should call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or fill out an anonymous report online at ACPO.tips. You can also report any instance of child abuse or neglect to the state's hotline at 877-NJ-ABUSE (652-2873).
You can also report crimes to the Crime Stoppers of Atlantic County at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477.
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