A Florida woman is facing an aggravated child abuse charge after police say she forcibly dunked a 6-year-old boy underwater at a Kissimmee resort where her family was vacationing.
Tiffany Griffith, 36, remains in custody at the Osceola County Jail following the incident Friday at the Gaylord Palms resort, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the incident began when three children, including Griffith’s 6-year-old son, were playing in a resort pool and an aggressive splashing match broke out. Witnesses told police that Griffith saw her son get dunked underwater by another child and then entered the pool herself.
According to investigators, Griffith yelled at the other boy, placed her hands on his shoulders and forcibly pushed him underwater for several seconds.
Police said the child became upset, left the pool and went to find his parents while suffering a nosebleed. Deputies said Griffith then yelled at the boy’s parents before leaving the pool area.
The sheriff’s office responded to the resort around 4:30 p.m. and later located Griffith. Deputies arrested her and booked her into the Osceola County Jail without bond.
Griffith appeared in court Sunday, where her defense attorney questioned whether she caused the child’s nosebleed. The judge challenged that argument, asking whether forcibly holding a child underwater was sufficient to support the charge. The attorney later withdrew the argument.
Griffith remains jailed on one count of aggravated child abuse and is scheduled to appear in court again Tuesday.
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