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Police arrest mother who urged daughter to hit teen
Barbara Cypress
Barbara Cypress was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on a felony charge of false imprisonment and misdemeanor charges of child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The mother seen on a cell phone video holding another girl while she yelled for her daughter to hit her, has been arrested, the Turlock Police Department reported.

Police officers took Barbara Cypress, 40, into custody at her Turlock home Tuesday afternoon. The arrest was made without incident, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

Cypress was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail on a felony charge of false imprisonment and misdemeanor charges of child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As of Thursday morning, Cypress was still in custody in lieu of a $20,000 bail.

Police had been looking for Cypress since a video of her holding a teenager and urging her daughter to hit her went viral.

The afterschool fight at Columbia Park on Friday was between a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl, both students at Turlock Junior High School. There had been an ongoing issue over bullying between the two girls, which led to a confrontation on the school bus, which in turn spilled over into the altercation in the park.

The video, which was recorded by a teenager on a cell phone, shows Cypress grasping the 13-year-old around the shoulders and telling her daughter to hit her.

“Hit her,” Cypress yelled. “It’s after school, it’s after school. You can’t get in trouble.”

The 12-year-old girl repeatedly struck the 13-year-old girl around the head before she was able to free herself from Cypress’ grasp. As the 13-year-old tried to back away, Cypress followed her, yelling into her face, “Someone’s scared, sight? Someone’s scared. F--- with my kid! F--- with her! This is after school she can’t get in trouble.”

The 12-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of battery, according to the police department.