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Background: News footage of the Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee, Fla. (WESH). Inset: Tiffany Griffith (Osceola County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida resident has found herself behind bars for several nights following allegations that she submerged a young boy underwater at a resort during her family vacation.
Authorities have detained 36-year-old Tiffany Griffith at the Osceola County Jail on charges of aggravated child abuse. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office detailed in a Facebook post that the incident occurred at the Gaylord Palms resort in Kissimmee, Florida, where Griffith was vacationing with her family. The trouble began when her child engaged in what was described as an “aggressive” splashing contest with another child. Reportedly, Griffith intervened by entering the pool, where she allegedly “forcibly dunked” the 6-year-old boy underwater for a period of “several seconds” after confronting him vocally.
Eyewitness accounts provided to law enforcement reveal that the poolside play involved three children, including Griffith’s own 6-year-old. As the game turned “aggressive,” Griffith’s son was reportedly submerged by the other child, prompting her to act. Witnesses claim she yelled at the boy, gripped his shoulders, and pushed him underwater for a brief but significant duration.
Following the incident, the young boy, visibly distressed and suffering from a nosebleed, exited the pool to alert his parents. Meanwhile, Griffith is said to have confronted the boy’s parents verbally before departing from the scene.
Responding to the situation at 4:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office apprehended Griffith at the resort. She was subsequently arrested and remains in custody at the Osceola County Jail without the option of bond.
Local NBC affiliate WESH reported that Griffith appeared in court on Sunday. Her defense attorney argued that his client may not have been responsible for the nosebleed the alleged victim had when he went back to his parents. In response, the judge asked the attorney, “So, you don’t think that the placing both hands on his shoulders, forcibly submerging him underwater, and holding him underwater is sufficient?”
The attorney eventually said, “I would withdraw my argument, I guess.”
Griffith remains in custody at the Osceola County Jail on one count of aggravated child abuse. She is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.