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Mother, Boyfriend Both Arrested After 4-Year-Old Allegedly Beaten

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Police say it's a felony failure in parenting that landed both a mother and boyfriend in jail and a 4-year-old in protective custody.

Joe Weaver is the boyfriend behind bars for allegedly beating up that 4-year-old child when the boy's mother walked in on him and called police. But Weaver says it's all a misunderstanding.

"I wasn't hitting him or nothing," he said Monday from behind bars at the Sacramento County Jail. "I was trying to save his life."

Weaver claims the shocking truth is he was trying to save the little boy's life by punching the child's arm away from an electric outlet where he says the boy was being electrocuted.

CBS13's Steve Large asked Weaver why police didn't believe his story.

"I haven't told the police," he said. "I haven't even speaked to my lawyer yet."

Cops came to the home after the 4-year-old's mom witnessed the alleged attack. Weaver said he hopes they can all be reunited.

"You know, she called the cops on you and they took her to jail too," Large said to Weaver.

"Yeah, I don't know why," he said.

Cops say Lisa Mendoza was arrested too because she was raising her child in a house of filth, with rotten food, dog feces, dirty diapers and other debris strewn throughout it.

"All I can say is no it wasn't and this interview is over," Weaver said.

A little boy is allegedly beaten and abused, and both people who were supposed to be caring for him are in jail.

Weaver was convicted of felony burglary in 2009. Both he and his girlfriend will face a judge for the first time on this matter Tuesday.

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