Vacation Nightmare: Florida Woman Arrested For Felony Abuse After Vile Attack On Child In Luxury Resort Pool

A Florida mother was arrested on felony aggravated child abuse charges after allegedly holding a 6-year-old boy underwater at a resort pool.

A Florida mother was arrested on Dec. 19 after a video captured her allegedly forcing a 6-year-old boy underwater at a resort pool following a dispute involving her son.

Tiffany Griffith, 36, was being held without bond on charges of aggravated child abuse following the incident at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, WESH reports. Osceola County deputies say Griffith entered the pool at the resort and confronted a child as he played in the pool with her 7-year-old son.

Police reports and video footage show Griffith gripping the child by the shoulders and pushing him underwater for several seconds. She told authorities she was trying to protect her nonverbal son, who has autism, and planned to confront the boy’s parents afterward, according to the arrest report. Investigators also noted that alcohol may have been a factor in the incident.

Deputies were called to the resort pool around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 after reports of a child being battered. Witnesses said three children had been playing when the splashing turned rough.

According to the sheriff’s office, Griffith, of Fort Myers, entered the pool and shouted at a 6-year-old boy after he dunked her seven-year-old son underwater. She then grabbed the child by the shoulders and forced him under for several seconds. The boy left the pool visibly upset, with a nosebleed, and told his parents what happened, deputies said. Griffith allegedly yelled at the child’s mother before leaving the area.

On Dec. 23, prosecutors reduced Griffith’s charges to third-degree child abuse but sought to keep her detained without bond. In court, her husband testified that the six-year-old had allegedly dunked their nonverbal son underwater and questioned why the boy’s parents weren’t present when Griffith intervened.

Griffith’s lawyer criticized the felony charges, highlighting her years of work in local law enforcement and her efforts to protect her autistic son. The judge denied prosecutors’ request to keep her jailed and set her bond at $20,000.