A Florida woman has been arrested for “forcibly dunking” someone else’s 6-year-old son underwater while they were staying at a resort during a family vacation.
Tiffany Griffith The incident occurred on Friday, December 19, and he was later charged with aggravated child abuse and booked into the Osceola County Jail.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook on Monday, Dec. 22, explaining that Griffith, 36, was vacationing with her family at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, when one of her children got into an “aggressive” splashing match with another child.
Witnesses told authorities Griffith entered the pool and yelled at the 6-year-old boy before “forcibly” submerging him underwater for “several seconds.”
The young victim, who was visibly upset, came out of the pool to his parents and told them what had happened, police said, adding that he had a “nosebleed.” The post went on to say Griffith followed the boy back to his family and began “yelling at the victim’s mother before leaving the area.”
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The Sheriff’s Office arrived at the resort around 4:30 p.m. to respond to reports of an incident. Once they located Griffith, she was arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail, according to jail records reviewed by police. US Weekly.
Griffith, who lives in Fort Myers, Florida, appeared in court on Sunday, December 21, local media WESH reported. Her defense attorney argued she may not be responsible for the victim’s nosebleeds when he returned to his parents.
“So, don’t you think it’s enough to put your hands on his shoulders, force him under the water, and hold him under the water?” the judge asked the lawyer, according to media reports.
In response, the lawyer said he “will be withdrawing my argument.”
Griffith was back in court on Tuesday, December 23, where a judge set her bond at $20,000, News 6 reported.
long time lawyer Mark Nijem It recently weighed in on the case, insisting people should never discipline other people’s children, even if they think they are helping.
“If she touched that child, it was wrong,” Nejam, who was not involved in the case, said, according to News 6. “You can’t take it upon yourself to obey the law and teach that child a lesson. It’s illegal and you can’t touch anyone in a way that causes some level of harm without their consent.”
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It’s unclear whether Griffith has entered a plea or paid bail to get out of jail.
After Griffith’s arrest made headlines, several social media users shared their candid thoughts about her arrest in the comments section of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office post.
“Listen…I watch my kid all the time when he’s in the pool. If another kid dunks on him…all I can say is, this might as well be my mugshot. My kid is my world…sorry not sorry. That’s why she has that stupid smile on her face. She’s being charged for her kid!” one person wrote, while another added: “As a mother, I get it. Especially when you’re watching your kid and other parents aren’t and you’re watching this happen.”