KINGWOOD, Texas – A local woman is facing serious charges after allegedly assaulting her teenage daughter over religious attire and a cooking mistake, according to authorities in Harris County.
The woman, identified as 36-year-old Sittarh Mazhar Khan, is accused of family assault, impeding breathing/circulation, and causing bodily injury to a child. The charges stem from two separate incidents involving her 14-year-old daughter.
The first incident reportedly occurred when Khan saw a photo of her daughter on Instagram without a hijab, a head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women. Khan, upset that her daughter had not worn the hijab to school, allegedly physically assaulted and choked the teenager, causing her to lose consciousness, according to a source close to the investigation.
The second incident involved a cooking incident. Khan is accused of forcing her daughter’s arm onto a hot oven rack, resulting in three burn marks, as punishment for overcooking pita bread, according to the hearing officer at the probable cause hearing.
The timeline and circumstances leading to law enforcement’s discovery of the alleged abuse remain unclear. Local news outlet KPRC reported that it is uncertain whether the two incidents occurred simultaneously.
Khan was arrested early Wednesday morning and booked into Harris County Jail. Prosecutors requested a $75,000 bond for Khan, but the hearing officer set the bond at $20,000.
In court, Khan, who has been a homemaker for over 17 years, required an interpreter to communicate. The teenage victim is currently under the care of Child Protective Services. Khan is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday morning.