Hialeah man accused of beating son, 14, with extension cord

HIALEAH, Fla. — A Hialeah man was arrested Sunday after police said he allegedly beat his 14-year-old son with an extension cord. Alex Antonio Romero Padilla, 31, of Hialeah, was arrested by the Hialeah Police Department and is facing one count of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm/torture, according to jail records obtained by Local 10 on Friday. Officers said they responded just after noon Sunday to a home in the 100 block of West Sixth Street in reference to a domestic battery. The report states that the boy told police he woke up around 9 a.m. and was watching TikTok on his cellphone when he told Romero Padilla he was hungry and wanted food. He said Romero Padilla at some point began yelling at him, grabbed him by the neck and squeezed it, leaving bruises, police said. The boy said Romero Padilla then threw him to the floor inside a bedroom and struck him with a brown extension cord on his back, left arm and right upper thigh, according to the report. He also told investigators that Romero Padilla had hit him in the past and said his father told him he was not allowed to leave the house or spend time with friends, police said. They said the boy was taken to Nicklaus Children's Hospital for treatment. A special victims detective later obtained a statement from him. Investigators said they observed marks on the boy's back, right arm and right thigh, along with bruising to his neck and arms. They said Romero Padilla told them that he was the boy's sole caregiver and that the two did not have good communication. They also confirmed that he had confronted the boy that morning about disobeying his rules and leaving with friends without his permission. Police said Ramiro Padilla also accused the boy of taking $23 from his wallet. The report states that Romero Padilla said he was trying to 'correct his behavior' when the boy became angry and smirked at him. He acknowledged grabbing a brown extension cord and using it to give out what police described as 'corporal punishment,' according to the report. As of Tuesday afternoon, Romero Padilla, a Honduran national, was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as 'to be set.' He was also being held on an immigration hold. Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.