

GARFIELD — Two women were arrested Tuesday after allegedly beating a 15-year-old boy and threatening him with a machete, police said.

According to Capt. Darren Sucorowski of the Garfield police, the boy's mother contacted police at around 7:20 p.m. to report that her son had been assaulted, and that she was taking him to the hospital.

Officers met them at the hospital, where the boy told them that he had been at a 15-year-old female friend's home that afternoon when the girl's mother, 32-year-old Alexandra Vargas, came home unexpectedly.



He rushed to the bathroom to hide, Sucorowski said, but was confronted by Vargas, who began to strike him in his chest.

Vargas grabbed a machete and blocked the boy as he attempted to leave, before using it to smash his cell phone, police said.

With the boy still inside, Vargas contacted 30-year-old Shaina Carter of the Bronx, N.Y., who police described as her "companion." Carter arrived at the home a short time later, and began to assault the boy, eventually striking him several times with an unidentified metal object, according to Sucorowski.

After the assault, the women took the boy's shoes and ordered him to leave. He complied, and informed his mother what had happened when he arrived home.

Both Vargas and Carter were arrested and charged with child endangerment, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Carter was ordered held on $62,500 bond. Vargas, who was also charged with criminal restraint, was being held on $82,500 bond.