LA PLATA, MD—A Charles County Circuit Court judge handed down a six-month jail sentence to Sabrina Cocheye Embrey, a 51-year-old Waldorf resident, for charges of second-degree child abuse and assault. Following her incarceration, Embrey will be under supervised probation for three years.
The sentencing, pronounced by Judge Makeba Gibbs on August 15, 2024, follows a jury verdict on May 16 that found Embrey guilty of the charges stemming from a domestic incident in 2023.
According to court documents, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office was called to a domestic disturbance at a Waldorf home on October 3, 2023. The investigation revealed a violent altercation between Embrey and a 12-year-old boy living with her. During the incident, an argument escalated, leading Embrey to threaten and eventually assault the child with pepper spray in his bedroom. This was not the first instance of such behavior; Embrey had previously been cautioned by Child Protective Services against using pepper spray on the child after a similar prior incident.
Assistant State’s Attorney Edward Stickles, addressing the court during sentencing, expressed hope that such an incident would not occur again. His colleague, Assistant State’s Attorney Blaec Shaw, emphasized that Embrey had antagonized the victim throughout the incident and inflicted lasting physical and mental harm.
The court detailed the sentences for Embrey’s crimes, sentencing her to 10 years for second-degree child abuse, with all but six months suspended, and a concurrent fully suspended 10-year sentence for second-degree assault.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about child welfare and the legal repercussions of domestic violence involving minors.
