A Bronx judge recently issued a stern warning to Monique Fort, 48, who was accused of robbing a 7-year-old boy and hitting his mother in a Bronx grocery store on Sept. 24. At Fort's Oct. 17 court appearance, Judge Margaret W. Martin told her she was “this close to go to Rikers Island” and warned that any further missteps would result in jail time. Fort allegedly took $3 from the boy’s hand at Richard’s Fruit and Vegetables on Jerome Avenue before slapping his 38-year-old mother, who tried to intervene while pushing a stroller. The incident left the child “crying, visibly shaken, and apologizing to his mother,” according to Assistant District Attorney Gary McKenna. Although Fort was arraigned on multiple charges—including felony and misdemeanor assault, felony robbery, grand larceny, and endangering the welfare of a child—the judge noted certain inconsistencies in the case, including missing details about the robbery. Assistant DA Amira Bell-Jetton acknowledged an issue with the charges’ initial drafting. Fort’s attorney from the Legal Aid Society argued there was no significant injury involved, though McKenna pressed for a $20,000 cash bail due to Fort’s history of arrests, including robbery, reckless endangerment, and a pending assault case. Fort was released under supervision but warned by Judge Martin to avoid any future infractions or face immediate detention.