A Mahoning Township woman has been charged with endangering the the welfare of a child after police said she struck a child with a baseball bat.

On April 27, Mahoning Township Police received an assault report on a juvenile from Gnaden Huetten Hospital in Lehighton.

Police said Christine Mertz of Jamestown Street had hit the juvenile with a wooden baseball bat over a blocked toilet in their residence.

The juvenile was struck twice on right side with the bat, bitten twice, and punched about ten times.

Police observed bite marks on the juvenile, and a sibling reported witnessing the assault.

Mertz has been charged with endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and harassment.

Mertz is currently in Carbon County Prison on unrelated charges.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 21, 2014.