GRESHAM, OR – A 30-year-old mother from Oregon has been sentenced to a month in prison after subjecting her infant to waterboarding and placing him in a freezer. Sharday McDonald’s actions were reportedly a twisted attempt to gauge the level of concern from the child’s father. McDonald admitted to criminal mistreatment, identity theft, and witness tampering charges following a welfare check on October 28, 2021, that revealed the child’s abuse.
Police were alerted to McDonald’s residence in Gresham, Oregon, after receiving reports of a baby being put in a freezer. Upon arrival, officers overheard McDonald berating the child’s father, Kendrick Neal. McDonald was heard making disturbing comments about the baby, indicating a lack of concern for his wellbeing.
McDonald was handed her 30-day sentence on Tuesday. Records from the Multnomah County Detention Center indicate that she will be released on October 6. McDonald entered her guilty plea on July 28.
When police visited her apartment in 2021, McDonald answered the door. She told officers that she had no intention of harming the child, despite admitting to subjecting him to running water before placing him in the freezer, as per the affidavit obtained by Fox Digital.
The arresting officer reported reviewing images of the child’s abuse once the father arrived. The officer noted that the baby appeared to be holding his breath as water was poured over his face and nose. After examining the images, a pediatrician consulted by the prosecutors suggested that the child likely struggled to breathe during the incident.
McDonald reportedly told the officer that her actions were driven by “spite.” She faced two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and reckless endangerment of an individual. In an unrelated case, she was also charged with one count of identity theft and an additional count of witness tampering.