Mother, who choked her daughters and shaved their heads for eating ice-cream, charged

A woman from Idaho, US, has been charged with child abuse after she allegedly beat, bite, and shaved her children's head for eating a tub of ice cream.

Priscilla Zapata is facing four counts of felony injury to a child after allegedly attacking her two sons and two daughters on 18 July. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, KTVB reported.

Court documents filed against Zapata stated she had told relatives that she "lost it" after finding that her children had eaten the ice cream. The woman then reportedly beat the four children with a wet belt, and later went on to choke one girl up against a wall.

One of Zapata's daughters alleged that her mother had bitten her, shoved her face into the ice cream and pushed her into a wall. While the other one said that the woman had grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up onto her toes, leaving her struggling to breathe, according to the court documents.

The young woman is also accused of shaving the heads of her daughters. One of the girls told deputies that despite knowing that her hair was being shaved, she did not say anything because she was scared that her mother would cut her, The Daily Mail reported.

Deputies said in the affidavit that the bruises and marks on the children's body were consistent with the account they have given and added that all four children have been placed into the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Although, the attack happened in July, an arrest warrant was only issued for Zapata on 5 October. Joe Decker, Canyon County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, told PEOPLE, "When we have serious allegations like these, we don't ever want to rush the investigation. These things take time to complete."

However, it is not clear whether Zapata has an attorney or has entered a plea. The 26-year-old is expected to appear in court on 8 November for a preliminary hearing.