Embattled atlantic city mayor and wife indicted on child abuse charges

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Marty Small, Sr., the mayor of Atlantic City, and his wife, La’Quetta Small, were indicted Tuesday on charges related to the alleged physical and emotional abuse of their teenage daughter. The couple faces second-degree charges of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, according to officials.

Marty Small, Sr., 50, was additionally indicted on third-degree charges of terrorist threats and Aggravated Assault. The allegations stem from incidents that occurred between December 2023 and January 2024, during which both defendants are accused of repeatedly assaulting their 15- and 16-year-old daughters.

In one alleged incident on January 13, 2024, Marty Small, Sr. reportedly struck his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom, causing her to lose consciousness. A separate incident on January 3, 2024, involved alleged threats by Small to “earth slam” his daughter down the stairs during an argument. He is also accused of grabbing her head and throwing her to the ground.

La’Quetta Small, 47, is alleged to have participated in multiple instances of abuse, including an incident where she punched her daughter in the chest, leaving visible bruises. Another incident reportedly involved La’Quetta dragging her daughter by her hair before striking her with a belt.

Both defendants are awaiting trial on the charges.

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