Roseita Lavette Smith Allegedly Shot Son Over “Disrespect”

The holiday outing quickly turned into chaos when a Miami mother allegedly shot her son and now faces serious charges. A heated domestic dispute escalated in broad daylight on Christmas Day, leaving a man taken to the hospital and his mother in police custody, authorities said. And women are at the center of it all Rosetta Lovett Smith.

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Mother charged after Christmas Day shooting outside Miami restaurant

According to jail records reviewed by law & Crime, the 50-year-old Miami woman was charged with aggravated battery with a weapon, causing bodily harm, after shooting her son, whose age has not been publicly released, outside the popular Red Rooster restaurant in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. Rosetta Lovett Smith was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just after midnight Friday and is currently being held without bail.

An argument in the parking lot ends in a shooting, and the son is taken to the hospital

Police say the incident began earlier that day while Smith and her son were inside the restaurant eating breakfast with family. The arrest report obtained by local station WPLG said Smith became upset and accused her son of being “disrespectful” toward her and other relatives. What started as a verbal argument continued as the two left the restaurant and got into Smith’s car.

Authorities say the argument got heated in the parking lot around 3 p.m., and when the son got out of the car, Smith allegedly followed him and fired one shot, hitting him in the thigh. Officers arrived to find the victim lying on the ground, bleeding from his left leg. Paramedics treated him at the scene and transported him to a nearby hospital. Moreover, doctors declared his condition stable.

Smith claims self-defense after fleeing the scene and being arrested

Smith had already fled the scene by the time police arrived. However, Miami officers later found her and arrested her the same day. During questioning, Smith reportedly told investigators she acted in self-defense. Smith claimed her son threatened to assault her after he refused to leave her car. She also pointed to her son’s past behavior as part of her explanation.

Despite her claims, police say the victim identified Smith as the person who shot him, leading to her arrest. The investigation remains ongoing as the case moves through the legal system.

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