TUESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: After an appearance in front of a judge Tuesday morning, Tiffany Griffith, who had been held since her Friday arrest on no bond, was issued a $20,000 after the court found the state did not meet the burden of proof to keep her held on no bond. She was released from the Osceola County Jail Tuesday night, with the stipulations that she have no contact with the minor victim or his parents, not to return to the Gaylord Palms or consume any alcohol. No future court dates have been set in the case.
A Fort Myers woman was arrested Friday at the Gaylord Palms Hotel when Osceola County Sheriff's deputies say she dunked a child underwater during a confrontation with her own child.
Tiffany Lee Griffith, 36, was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse and was booked into the Osceola County Jail, where records show she remained late Monday on no bond. She made an initial appearance in front of a judge Monday, and is scheduled for another hearing Tuesday morning.
The Sheriff's office said deputies responded to the resort's pool area Friday around 4:30 p.m. after receiving a call regarding a battery involving a child. According to their report, witnesses said three children were playing in the pool when their splashing became aggressive. The suspect entered the pool and yelled at a 6-year-old boy after he allegedly dunked her 6-year-old son underwater. The Sheriff's office said she then placed her hands on the victim’s shoulders and forcibly dunked him underwater for two to four seconds. The report noted the victim exited the pool visibly upset and suffering from a nosebleed and immediately reported the incident to his parents. The suspect then began yelling at the victim’s mother before leaving the area.
Deputies later located, interviewed and arrested Griffith. During that interview, deputies noted Griffith "Understood and agreed to her (Miranda) rights ... she further stated she could recite them due to being a former law enforcement officer."
The report stated she said she entered the pool to pull her child out and then approached the parents of the other child "To confront them about the incident." When asked if anything else happened, and told the deputy had reviewed footage of the incident, Griffith reported said, "I was protecting my son."
According to the report, "After Tiffany was placed under arrest, she made spontaneous statements expressing remorse for what had occurred. It should also be noted that alcohol was believed to be a possible factor in this incident, according to hotel security."
