A Walker County mother is behind bars after authorities say she beat her toddler son in the head with a brick and choked him almost to death.

Melody Smith, 33, told investigators that the devil made her do it, and that her 2-year-old son was the devil. Sure must be a lot of devil kids out there, because she is one of many to use that excuse.

The sheriff’s office was notified of the attack about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday June 3rd, 2020 by a deputy who had personal knowledge of a child being struck with a brick. Deputies started to head toward the town of Parrish where the assault took place in the front yard of the family’s residence.

They learned the boy was being driven to the hospital by Smith and deputies intercepted them en route. Medics were nearby and also responded. The boy was then airlifted to Children’s of Alabama.

On Friday, he remained in the hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Carpenter said he was struck multiple times in the head with the brick and also was choked. He was in and out of consciousness when deputies and medics found him. “At one point he wasn’t breathing,’’ Carpenter said. “There were indications of hypoxia,” which is the absence of enough of oxygen in the tissues to sustain bodily functions.

The boy is expected to live but it’s too soon to tell how much, if any, permanent damage was done by the injuries and the lack of oxygen.

Smith had a court hearing Friday morning. Her bond was set at $250,000 on the aggravated child abuse charge.

Carpenter said DHR has been brought in and emergency custody arrangements for the boy have been made. I’m just glad the boy is alive, he didn’t deserve such treatment. I hope she is prosecuted to the fullest. I will update this as information becomes available to me.