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Police: Dad Slapped 12-Year-Old Who He Said Bullied His Stepdaughter On Valentine's Day

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HOUSTON (CBS Local) -- A Texas man is under arrest for allegedly slapping a 12-year-old boy who he said bullied his stepdaughter, police said.

James Peace, 37, was charged with felony injury to a child under 15, CBS affiliate KHOU reported.

The girl's mother, who asked that her name not be revealed, said her husband was sticking up for her daughter after she was bullied by the boy and his friend while walking home from school in Deer Park on Valentine's Day.

"Saying that her body was ugly, said that she was a transvestite, started throwing ice cream at her and then they picked up the rocks," she told KTRK.

The daughter called and asked for a ride home, she said, and that's when investigators say Peace happened to spot the 12-year-old and his friend walking and "decided to stop and confront the kid," said Deer Park Police Lt. Chris Brown.

Investigators say surveillance video shows Peace shouted at the 12-year-old boy and then struck him.

"He was slapped across the face with an open hand, had red marks and swelling to his cheek and upper jaw," said Brown.

Court records say after the slap, Peace threatened the boy not to tell police or he'd beat him up.

The next day, the victim told his teacher he was afraid to go to lunch because he didn't want to see the suspect's stepdaughter. He then told the teacher what happened and police were called.

Peace was arrested Monday and released on $15,000 bond.

"I do not agree with what he did," Peace's wife said. "He took it too far, he did."

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