Mom allegedly lets 4-year-old smoke pot

OMAHA, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- An Omaha, Neb., woman is facing a felony child abuse charge for allegedly teaching and encouraging her 4-year-old daughter to smoke marijuana.

Lisa Schuchard, 25, pleaded not guilty and was being held in the Douglas County Jail pending a hearing on her parenting abilities.

She was picked up after an anonymous caller told police Shuchard's 4-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy were filthy dirty and that drug paraphernalia was strewn about their home, The Omaha Word-Herald reported Sunday.

Omaha police allegedly found the children within reach of drug paraphernalia. The also allegedly discovered a large bruise on the 4-year-old's right cheek and several bruises on her buttocks and upper legs.

The girl told police that her mother's boyfriend, Christopher Gladden hit her repeatedly with a belt and slammed a door in her face, causing the knob to bruise her cheek.

She also explained to police how she smoked marijuana and "demonstrated (very well) how she smokes from a 'joint,' 'bong' and 'pipe' during the interview," an Omaha police detective wrote. "She said that her mother and Chris give both her and her brother the weed to smoke."