Knoxville Softball Player Loren Whaley Accused of Dragging Child by the Arm and Punching Him Twice in the Face, Leaving Him with a Nosebleed!

October 8, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on October 7, 2026

Kaci Mitchell, one of the players who played softball with Loren Whaley, expressed her disbelief via Facebook about her child abuse charges.

A 29-year-old local softball player, Loren Whaley, was arrested by Knoxville police on Friday evening, October 3, 2026, and now faces a felony child abuse charge.

Whaley was taken under control after witnesses reported seeing her hit a 7-year-old boy in a South Knoxville parking lot.

At the moment, Whaley is charged with felony child abuse.

Reportedly, the incident happened around 7 p.m. in the parking lot of a Kroger store on Chapman Highway near West Young High Pike.

According to police reports, a witness saw Whaley pull the boy by his arm into a white car and then punch him twice in the face with a closed fist.

Similarly, another witness also confirmed the same story.

Loren Whaley, former softball player, is charged with felony child abuse. (Image Source: )

When officers arrived, they contacted and spoke with the child. At first, he was hesitant to talk about what happened and said it was nothing but a nosebleed.

Later, when asked if he had been hit, the boy pointed to the right side of his face and said he didn’t feel pain there.

Police noticed redness on his face and dried blood on his shorts and legs. Eventually, the boy told officers that Whaley had dragged him to the car and hit him in the face.

After the boy confessed to what happened, the officers approached Whaley. She was sitting in the driver’s seat of the car, washing her hands with a water bottle.

When asked what happened, she repeatedly said she needed to get her phone but didn’t explain her actions. Likewise, so far, it remains unclear how Whaley is related to the child.

Meanwhile, the boy was safely returned to his mother.

Whaley was taken to the Knox County Jail on Saturday, October 4, 2026, and is to appear in court on Monday morning, October 6, 2026.

In the Facebook post, Haley Gilland wrote:

I knew she looked familiar!! This is absolutely awful, makes me so sad for that child bc I’m sure they endured way more

  • Check other Articles on

Aditi is an avid music lover whose interest's goes beyond the realm of music, with passion in digital marketing. A Gen Z who loves her personal space and is keen to exploring new things. An optimist who seeks silver lining in every circumstances life throws at her.

Related articles

May 6, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 5, 2026

May 4, 2026

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Share article

    - May 6, 2026 A student-athlete at Edinburg High School, Sebastian Garcia, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Sebastian was a member of the Edinburgh Runnin' Bobcats...

    - May 6, 2026 A former baseball coach with deep ties to the Geauga County sports community has been arrested and charged with the rape of a child,...

    - May 5, 2026 Dr. Jack Walker Moore, who practiced medicine at SportsMED and served as the team doctor for Madison Academy, passed away on Friday. Moore was...

    - May 5, 2026 A mother of a child with autism and ADHD is speaking out after her son was bullied in a school bathroom, fought back in...

    - May 4, 2026 Every parent has been there. You hear the front door open, say a simple "hello," and get an eye roll or a grunt in...