Woman sentenced to six months after pepper spraying child

The state’s attorney for Charles County announced that on Aug. 15 Sabrina Cocheye Embrey, 51, of Waldorf was sentenced to six months in jail for second-degree child abuse and second-degree assault.

Embrey will be on supervised probation for three years upon release. On May 16, a Charles County jury found Embrey guilty of the aforementioned charges.

On Oct. 3, 2023, an officer with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Waldorf for the report of a domestic assault, a release from the state's attorney's office said.

An investigation revealed that Embrey got into a verbal disagreement over the family's cats with her 12-year-old son, who was living with her.

The disagreement escalated in Embrey’s bedroom, and she threatened the boy with pepper spray. He left Embrey’s bedroom, however, Embrey followed him into his bedroom with pepper spray. The boy became combative, and Embrey pepper sprayed him, the release said.

Embrey previously used pepper spray on her son during a separate altercation and was warned by Child Protective Services not to do it again, according to the release.

During sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Edward Stickles told the judge, “It is the state’s hope that this never happens again.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Blaec Shaw said that Embrey “very clearly antagonized the victim throughout the incident,” and that she took “action both physically and mentally that will forever affect [the victim].”