Iowa City Police: Mom Urges 4-Year-Old Son to 'Beat Up' Another 4-Year-Old Over Scooter Shove

An Iowa City woman was charged with assault after she allegedly inserted herself in a dispute between 4-year-old children and pushed over a 9-year-old who came to break up the fight.

According to an Iowa City Police criminal complaint, police responded on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. to 1100 Arthur St. for the report of a fight between two 4-year-old children. 

When they spoke to a woman, Catherine Charnay Claybon, 25, of Iowa City, at the scene, she told them that one of the 4-year-old children had pushed her 4-year-old son off of his scooter, and she had been trying to get her son to "beat up the 4 year old" according to the report. When both the 9-year-old brother and mother of the child and who had pushed Claybon's son off his scooter attempted to break up the fight, Claybon pushed down the 9-year-old and pushed the other mother back.

When police asked her about the child, Claybon admitted to "blocking him away" according to the complaint. The 9-year-old was reportedly vomiting after the incident and had to be taken to the hospital to be checked for his injuries.

Claybon was charged with assault causing injury, a serious misdemeanor, and was booked into the Johnson County Jail Friday night at 7:59 p.m. She made bail, set at $2,500, and was released Saturday afternoon at 1:07 p.m., according to online jail records.

A phone number for Claybon for comment could not be found for the writing of this story.