Mayor Marty Small addresses media and employees surrounded by his son, wife, daughter and attorney, Ed Jacobs.
ATLANTIC CITY Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Monday, April 15, charged Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., 50, and his wife, La'Quetta Small, 47, with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Marty Small Sr. was additionally charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault, and disorderly persons simple assault. La'Quetta Small was additionally charged with three separate counts of disorderly persons simple assault.
The charges were placed on summonses for both defendants.
It is alleged that during the months of December 2023 and January 2024, the defendants physically and emotionally abused their 15/16-year-old-daughter on multiple occasions.
During one incident, Marty Small Sr. is alleged to have hit his daughter multiple times in the head with a broom causing her to lose consciousness. Another incident alleged that during an argument with his daughter, he continuously threatened to hurt her by earth slamming her down the stairs, grabbing her head and throwing her to the ground, and "smacking the weave out of her head." Another incident involved him punching his daughter repeatedly in her legs causing bruising.
The prosecutor alleged that during one incident La'Quetta Small punched her daughter multiple times on her chest leaving bruising. Another incident alleged that she dragged her daughter by her hair and struck her with a belt on her shoulders leaving marks. Another incident alleged that she punched her daughter in the mouth during an argument.
These incidents were investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office's Special Victims Unit. The charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor's Office's Website at ACPO.Tips and provide information by filling out a form anonymously.
Any concerned person can report suspicions of child abuse or neglect by calling their local police department or call the Child Abuse Hotline at (877) NJ-ABUSE / (877) 652-2873 / TTY: (800) 835-5510.
