Story highlights
Mom is arrested after Facebook Live video shows toddler taped to a wall
Police say 2-year-old was taped with packing tape for about 15 minutes
Shayla Rudolph said she needed to get some housework done, so she taped her toddler to the wall – and then went on Facebook Live to show the world.
Now Rudolph, 18, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, has been charged with abduction. Police said she restrained her 2-year-old son with clear packing tape for about 15 minutes and also taped his mouth closed.
Facebook Live is the new key witness to crime
Rudolph was charged Thursday after CNN affiliates WSYX and WTTE brought the video to police attention on Wednesday following a tip from a viewer. In the video, a woman police identified as Rudolph tells viewers she needed to do housework. The child can be seen taped to the wall by his wrists, and can be heard crying.
“You can’t clean without them running around tearing up? Tape them to the wall,” Rudolph says.
She tells the child, “You got the best mommy in the whole wide world,” adding that the child was OK because he could see the TV.
After the video appeared on Facebook, Rudolph got a visit from Franklin County Children Services. She later was back on Facebook Live saying she didn’t care. “This time y’all can take him,” she says in that video.
Her son was taken into custody by Franklin County Children’s Services, police said Thursday.
Reynoldsburg Police Lt. Ron Wright said the video would play a key role in the case.
“The video pulled from the Facebook page will serve as crucial evidence during prosecution,” he said. “We have received information through Facebook posts that have identified, solved and prevented crimes – such as robberies and drug trafficking.”
A spokeswoman for the children’s services department said the agency would not comment on the case. CNN left a message for Rudolph that has not been returned.
CNN’s Chris Boyette contributed to this report.