According to Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, Mary Lechner is facing child abuse charges after she allegedly beat a 4-year-old boy she was babysitting. However, Lechner's mother tells NEWS9 those allegations are not true.

McFarland said the mother of the boy took him to a hospital Thursday after he spent Wednesday night in the care of Lechner.

"From what we were able to gather from the hospital and photos we took Friday evening, he had bruises on his face, behind his ears, on the back of his neck and multiple bruises on his upper torso," McFarland said.

McFarland said during talks with Lechner, she admitted to beating the boy and throwing him against a wall.

"Later that evening, we were able to bring her in, and through sitting down and talking with her, she eventually admitted to mistreating him because, I believe it was, because he wouldn't let her sleep," McFarland said.

However, Lechner's mother, Ruth Lechner, said she did not confess, but rather gave up during questioning.

"Mary Ann told me, she said, 'You're not going to listen to what I'm saying anyways, so you just put what you want down,'" Ruth said.

She said her daughter did not harm the child, and that injuries were caused by a seizure the boy had had that night, something he suffers from on a regular basis. She said the boy frequently has bruises on him because of the falls from the seizures and because he allegedly harms himself, something her daughter was aware of when she was asked to watch him.

"Mary Ann says, 'I cannot take him, because I do not like him beating his head off the wall, and I don't like him pinching himself, because I'm afraid I'm going to get put in jail for that.' And look, it ended up happening," Ruth said.

Police said the injuries could not have been caused by a fall from a seizure. However, Ruth Lechner said she also suffers from seizures, and she has had broken bones and has had to get stitches after falling.

Mary Lechner is being held in the Belmont County jail and is expected to be in court later this week.